Govt ensures farmers get benefit of agri package

PM aide says direct disbursement to growers key objective of govt

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has emphasised that the Rs50-billion agricultural package, announced by the government, is an attempt to ensure that its beneficiaries are farmers and crop growers for whom the relief package is intended.

The government approved the package with a view to extending relief to the farmers’ community and its direct disbursement to crop growers remained a key objective of the government, he said while chairing a meeting with a delegation of the Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP). The delegation met the adviser and members of the government’s economic team at the Finance Division on Monday.

Shaikh welcomed the proposals and recommendations put forward by the delegation for providing direct relief for the farmers, including a possible reduction in electricity tariff for tube wells, reduction in import duty on fertiliser, cut in mark-up and waiving agricultural loans, deregulation of import and export of agricultural products and livestock.

He said the government was open to considering any suggestion to further improve disbursement criteria for the agricultural package keeping in view the input and consultation with the stakeholders.

Similarly, the government was also willing to extend further relief to the farmers, as and when required and proposed by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research for the growth of agriculture and betterment of growers. The adviser acknowledged that the agriculture sector had the potential in the post-Covid-19 scenario to generate employment, boost growth, alleviate poverty and enhance food security. 

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2020.

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