Level playing field: Jute millers demand packaging ordinance

PJMA demanded government to promulgate a mandatory jute packing order as enforced in India, Bangladesh.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Jute Mills Association (PJMA) has demanded the government to promulgate a ‘jute mandatory packaging’ ordinance and also offered much needed research and development (R&D) support which it is providing to textile and other industries.

Speaking to journalists, PJMA members drew attention towards wheat, rice and food grains which are packed in jute sacks under a mandatory packaging order in India and Bangladesh. They demanded the government to promulgate a similar jute mandatory packaging ordinance in Pakistan.

Growth in fibre crop processing industry will not only create more employment opportunities in rural areas but also mitigate environmental damages being caused by the usage of synthetic packing materials, they underscored. They also urged the government to promote jute cultivation in the country as it would help Pakistan in saving over $100 million in foreign exchange.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2011.