The All Pakistan Meat Processors & Exporters Association (APMPEA) has urged the federal government to launch efforts at commercial consulate level abroad to ensure retrieval of payments stuck/defaulted by the importers of Pakistani meat and its products.
"It is a big issue and we are trying for the last many years to recover these stuck amounts but it is not possible without the backing of the government and our diplomats posted abroad," said APMPEA President Nasib Ahmad Saifi.
Saifi in its proposal submitted to the federal government, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Lahore Chamber urged for boosting Halal food items export and also called for earliest payment of export tax refunds to the sector as it would ensure availability of liquidity to them.
He also called for slashing down expenses on issuance of certificate of origins, documents attestation fee and annual member renewal fee by the chambers to give a solidarity message and encouraging exporters in this time of need.
Talking about the role of TDAP in boosting exports, Saifi said it should encourage and incentivize exporters to participate in global exhibitions with an objective to tap the potential virgin markets on minimum expenses. The TDAP can also play an active role to ensure the earliest payment of refunds to the exporters by pursuing government departments concerned, he added.
The TDAP should also play its role in getting a package from the government for the revival of sick units of Halal meat exports as these units will not only generate more jobs for youth but also play a role in strengthening the national economy by earning foreign exchange.
The quarantine department should be working 365 days with bringing down quarantine fee to half enabling the exporters to prepare its consignments with peace of mind. Vehicle Parchi fee should be abolished for exporter's vehicle in livestock markets.
All slaughterhouses should be allotted land in Cholistan so they could work for enhancing the production of livestock. All stakeholders should be taken on board to prepare a feasible programme in this regard to establish farming for the meat purpose.
His other proposals include the restoration of air freight rebate, relief in electricity bills, bringing down airlines fare for this sector, charging no taxes on utility bills for slaughterhouses. Exporters should be given relief in withholding tax and it should be brought down to 1/3 percent from the existing one percent. New connection of natural gas should be given to abattoirs and meat processing units and gas tariff for exporting units should also be brought without any tax.
The Halal meat processing units should be given interest-free loans for the installation of solar energy and other value-added processing machinery. The meat exporters should be acknowledged as an industry as textile and cement sector is recognized. It should be taken as a zero-rated industry like the other five sectors.
For the best quality and fast production, the government must arrange training programmes for slaughterhouse workers, give financial support without interest for purchase and installation of latest machinery, upgrading slaughterhouse laboratories according to the international level so that the samples which we give to the other laboratories must be tested in our own premises.
Providing of meat handling training to Halal meat processing plant staff can increase their efficiency and capacity. The livestock department should arrange training (local or foreign) for meat professionals to improve the quality of products and introduction of new kind of products in line with the international standard.