Demand for special relief package for ginning sector

The Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association has urged the government revision of tax slabs package to be included in the special relief package for the ginning sector, as they will be unable to run factories in the next season of 2017-18 due to burden of taxes and other crisis.

PCGA chairman Dr Jeso Mal demanded incentives-oriented package for the ginning sector as textile industry was the only buyer of cotton in the market and there was no other buyer in the country.

The PCGA chairman said that the ginning sector should be declared tax-free industry at least for three years.

He further added that millions of farmers were directly associated with cultivation and harvesting of cotton crop and sale of lint. Hence the government should announce a National Cotton Policy with the consent of farmers, ginners and other stakeholders before the sowing of cotton crop.

Dr Jeso Mal said that the desired targets of cotton production remained a distant dream for the last three years and efforts were required in many areas to improve cotton production to meet not only export demands but also domestic requirements.

The yield remains low because of unfavorable weather conditions at the time of sowing, affect germination causing re-sowing of crop increase, pest attack in the early growth of the crop as well as at the time of flowering and boll formation.

He added that as the government was well aware of the overwhelming significance of cotton as lifeline of economy. It was essential to find the means and ways to improve the cotton production in the country.