National assembly: Standing committee irked at high urea prices

ISLAMABAD:

National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production expressed concerns over the cartelisation of urea manufacturers in the country.

The committee directed the National Fertilizer Marketing Limited (NFML) to play an active role in breaking the cartel by importing urea and selling it on rates lower than those of the local product. The meeting of the committee, held under the chairmanship of MNA Asad Umar, was informed by a NFML official that the total landed price of an imported urea bag in Karachi was Rs1,490.

Umar said that private manufacturers were fleecing the farmers by selling urea at around Rs1,900 per bag, however, the government could help reduce the price by importing urea in bulk. He said private producers had earned Rs30 billion during Rabi season and all this money had been paid by the poor farmers.  

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2016.

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