Wheat purchase: Ministry assures importers of help

Private sector wheat importers will be given priority and their legitimate concerns should be solved at the earliest, said Ministry of National Food Security and Research Secretary Omar Hamid. Chairing a meeting on wheat import on Monday, Hamid emphasised that the ministry was working under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s order to ensure uninterrupted wheat supply across the country.

“The ministry will help wheat importers at all levels so that the public can buy the commodity at affordable prices,” he said. “The ministry is facilitating wheat importers by helping them in vessel berthing, storage and port clearances on the landing of shipments,” said Hamid.

A few taxes and duties have also been abolished by the federal government including 60% regulatory duty, 11% customs duty, 17% sales tax and 6% withholding tax. He added that the withholding tax waiver would be notified in a matter of days. “Imported wheat is exempt from the Anti-Hoarding Act imposed by provincial governments on the production of verified record by the importers,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2020.

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