Relief package demanded for rice export

Mahmood Moulvi Chairman Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has urged the government for a relief package for rice export like textile sector to earn more foreign exchange. He expressed his heartiest gratitude to S.M. Muneer Chief Executive Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Zubair Tufail President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) for taking up the rebate matter of rice exporters with Muhammad Ishaq Dar Federal Minister for Finance & Revenue during his recent visit to FPCCI Head Office Karachi.
Moulvi said that rice export industry has been facing severe hardship since last couple of years and unable to compete in the world market due to which its exports were on decline. In the current scenario, rice exporters are seeking government's support to enhance the rice exports, which crossed $2 billion mark two years back.
"We are thankful to Chief Executive TDAP and President FPCCI for considering taking up the problems of rice exporters to government and extending their support to resolve the long pending matters of rebate", he added. Rice Export Sector, which was the 2nd largest earner of valuable foreign exchange, would get a remarkable boost after the favourable action of Government of Pakistan and this would be helpful for the survival of this important sector, he added.
He hoped that FPPCI would continue its support for the betterment of rice trade and export as well to earn more foreign exchange for the country. Moulvi said that rice export needed the same relief package like textile; Rs 180 billion recently announced by the federal government to facilitate the country's largest export sector. He said that rice export was also facing same difficulties in the world market; therefore government should consider a relief package for rice trade as well. "We believed that with the government's support, not only more foreign exchange would arrive but also the domestic rice industry would overcome the crisis", he added.