The government may impose regulatory duty to discourage import of cotton and give a positive signal to cotton growers that the government is ready to help them. The meeting also discussed indicative price for cotton growers, as increase in cotton production in the country would not only save critical foreign exchange by reducing imports but would also lead to employment opportunities.
Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh asked the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Pakistan Cotton Growers Association (PCGA) and other stakeholders to hold meetings with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Commerce Ministry to discuss their issues and finalize realistic proposals within the next few days to help the government take a decision that could address the concerns of all stakeholders, particularly the cotton growers in getting better prices in the upcoming season.
The advisor said that the government has been paying special focus on growth of agriculture sector, and not only sees agriculture as providing the main pivot to the growth of economy but is also allocating funds for its further growth.
He added that the government approved projects worth Rs 250 billion last week for the uplift of agriculture sector with focus on enhancing crop productivity and improving the means and resources for better farming. He said a meeting was held with various stakeholders including office-holders of APTMA, PCGA, Kissan Ittehad and others who met the adviser at the Ministry of Finance to discuss ways for ensuring competitive prices for the cotton farmers for their produce in the coming season.
Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce, Textile, Industry & Production and Investment, Sahibzada Muhammad Mehboob Sultan, Minister for National Food Security & Research, Shabbar Zaidi, Chairman FBR, and senior officials of Finance Division were also present.
Dr Hafeez Shaikh said that the government is fully aware of the difficulties being faced by cotton growers in getting better prices which not only offset their cost of production but also provide them with incentives to use more inputs and increase the crop area for enhanced productivity. "The government is actively considering various options and hopefully we have an arrangement which addresses the concerns of cotton growers and helps them fetch good prices for their produce," he said.