Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has reiterated its demand of declaring the rice export sector as new industry and providing benefits in line with other five zero rated export sectors. "Rice export sector is the second biggest foreign exchange earner of Pakistan, which is adding value to the paddy, after buying it from growers and sending abroad after different processes to fetch precious foreign exchange direly need by the country. Unfortunately, it is not being accorded the status it deserves and facilities it needed to push it further up," said REAP Chairman Ch Samee Ullah Naeem while chairing a meeting here on Thursday.

REAP's mentor Pir Nazim Hussain Shah, former Chairman Ch Masood Ahmad, former Vice Chairman Shahjahan Malik, Shahid Tarar, Zahid Khawaja and other elders and sitting executive committee members were present in the brain storming session, where they discussed different issues being faced by the rice sector. Some of the members termed it irony that flower sector had been declared industry while rice which is fetching US two billion dollars per annum was running from pillar to post to get this status.

"We even don't know who will heed to our plight and which department is authorized to declare any sector as an Industry," they added. Participants were of the view that the government instead of declaring only five sectors as zero rated should extend this facility to all the items being exported from Pakistan so as to realize their maximum potential.

REAP chairman informed the participants that they were strongly opposing the idea of Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) as it was not mandatory in any rice exporting country including India. He assured the participants that he would continue raising voice in favour of rice industry at every appropriate forum.

A five-member committee was also constituted on this occasion under the supervision of REAP chairman which would in a month's time prepare a report that how the rice sector could be got declared as an industry. On this occasion, he also announced that "Export Trophy" event will be organized on November 25, 2017 in the provincial metropolis to honour those rice exporters who have excelled in export of different types of rice and contributed to the national exchequer by bringing remittances to home. Federal Minister for Commerce & Textile, Pervaiz Malik will be the chief guest on this occasion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2017