Ban on livestock export a boon for some

The ban will benefit both the leather and meat export industries.

KARACHI:

The Pakistan leather industry wants a complete ban on export of livestock. But there is also a significant number of businessmen who hope to make a killing in the livestock and meat export business. Which industry will get its wishes fulfilled is something that is still to be seen as the ministry of commerce has sent the proposal of banning live animal exports to the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC).

The leather industry has a long-standing demand to ban live animal export to Afghanistan and Iran, saying that this causes acute shortage of skins – a basic raw material of leather industry.

The ministry of commerce last week issued a notification which said that the government had placed a ban on the export of live animals along with meat exports. But, after a gap of five hours, the ministry issued another notification saying that it was just a proposal and the final decision will be taken by the ECC.

Central Chairman Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Khursheed Alam said that the government should immediately ban live animal export to western neighbouring countries. He clarified that tanners were not against the export of meat as this has little impact on the availability of skins. “We need skins,” said Alam, “Meat exports do not affect us as skins of slaughtered animals remain in the country.”

However, Ministry of Commerce intends to ban both meat and live animal exports.

Head of research Standard Capital Security Faisal Shahji said that though it is feasible to ban live animal export, it may further increase smuggling of animals across the western borders after the sharp increase in meat prices in Iran and Afghanistan. “Even after all the limitations, the ban on live animal exports would be beneficial for both meat exporters and leather industry of Pakistan as both get cheap raw material,” he said.

On the ban on meat exports, he said it seems that the government wants to bring stability in local meat prices ahead of Ramazan and seeking a ban of few months.

South Chairman PTA Aziz Ahmed said that government itself now acknowledges that huge numbers of live animals are being smuggled to Afghanistan and Iran.

Pakistan exported over $53 million of meat and meat preparations in year 2011, he said, adding that according to rough estimates, live animals worth of over 10 times of our meat exports are smuggled every year from Pakistan, he said.

“Our biggest problem is the smuggling of live animals not the meat exports. We can overcome much of this problem if we ban export of live animals,” Ahmed said.

Another leather goods exporter from Karachi agreed with this and said that the leather industry is primarily hurt by the exports of live animals and not by growing meat exports.

“Pakistan is now earning huge foreign exchange from its packaged meat exports. This industry should be encouraged so that we can grow our market share in growing Middle Eastern markets,” he added.

Pakistan’s proximity to Middle East gives it an edge in export of meat and other food items.

Officials at the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) say that Pakistan has great potential in meat production and meat exports are bound to increase phenomenally in coming years.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2011.

so�Iif��HG�y:"FedraSerifA Book"; color:black;letter-spacing:-.3pt'>“I participate in workshops and business plan competitions with young graduates on a frequent basis. The aim is that they should know what to expect before they graduate,” Jan said.

 

The technology sector also gives business and employment opportunities to people who don’t have any formal IT education.

Pakistan is one of the top five countries from where people offer their IT-related services on elance.com, a freelance, online employment website.

Even big Pakistani IT companies, like Creative Chaos, have hired IT professionals who didn’t hold any formal degree.

“You’ll be surprised to know how many people I’ve hired who didn’t have a formal IT education,” Aziz said. “You’ll be more surprised to know the number of recent graduates I hired and paid them more than I’d pay people with five to seven years of experience. I value skills, not experience.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2011.