REAP demands inclusion of rice among export-oriented sectors

The Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) has appealed to the government for including rice among those export-oriented sectors which are enjoying different incentives and official backing.
"We have requested the government to increase the number of export-oriented sectors from present five to six so that rice exporters can also have the official backing and support to tap the potential of the global rice market effectively," said REAP Chairman Shahjahan Malik while talking to Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
He said that textile, leather, carpets, surgical equipment and sports are those export-oriented sectors which are enjoying preferential gas and power tariff plus other incentives. Rice is fetching above US$ 2 billion per annum and REAP thinks that its members deserve to be recognized as an export-oriented sector with the above-mentioned sectors.
Shahjahan said that they had a meeting today with Ali Habib, Assisting the Advisor to Prime Minister on Commerce & Industries Razak Dawood (for all export-oriented sectors except textile), through video link and presented a three-point charter of demand to enable the rice exporters to achieve the target of exports of US$ five billion in next five years.
The REAP also demanded that it should be given representation in the national and provincial seed councils.
He claimed that the approval of new varieties is usually delayed while the sector direly needs new varieties having the potential to face the wrath of climate change to produce more exportable surplus, and this all is possible only after REAP is given proper representation in the seed councils.
Similarly, he said that the Association had requested in the recent past that the government should give subsidy on harvesters specifically designed for rice to save the production from post-harvest losses. "We urged the government to expedite this matter too. Ali Habib asked us to send him some concrete plan in this regard, which though we had submitted earlier, but will send again," Shahjahan added.
The Chairman also thanked the government and the State Bank of Pakistan for accepting their demand of doubling the export refinance fund schemes and shipping documents sent to the buyers directly. Shahjahan was assisted by Shahid Tarar and REAP Secretary-General Kashif-ur-Rehman during these parleys.