NA panel apprehends wheat crisis at year-end

NA panel seeks report on increase in wheat support price

ISLAMABAD:

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce on Monday expressed apprehension that the country may witness a mega wheat crisis at year’s end because of the delay in wheat import at the government level.

The country had already witnessed a major crisis of flour and sugar earlier this year, depriving the people of the basic commodities. Some government ministers had claimed that such a shortage was “created artificially”.

The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Syed Naveed Qamar, has sought a report from the national food security ministry within a week on a request to increase the support price of wheat.

In his briefing to the panel, Trading Corporation of Pakistan Chairman Dr Riaz Ahmed Memon said as many as three tenders opened for wheat import had been cancelled because of receiving extra bids. He added that the fourth tender for the import of 0.3 million tonnes of wheat issued on September 26 would open on October 5.

It is pertinent to mention that on Sept 18, the federal government scrapped a tender for the import of 150,000 tons of wheat after an unfounded allegation of collusion angered some members of a cabinet body.

Memon claimed that the wheat price increased in the international market after the Economic Coordination Council announced to import 1.7 million tonnes of wheat. Moreover, the TCP chairman said that negotiations are under way with the Russian government on government level for wheat import.

Furthermore, the national food security ministry additional secretary said the private sector has imported 313,916 metric tonnes of wheat and further booked order for importing 1,091,000 metric tonnes of wheat. Around 1,000,000 metric tonnes of wheat will be imported in the country till January, he said, adding: “An Rs41 per kilogrammes increase will be witnessed in the price of imported wheat.”