The country's $450-million seafood export business seeks an electricity tariff structure similar to those of the five zero-rated sectors, saying that the "injustice" against the seafood processing industry should end, exporters said on Tuesday.
They said that the seafood industry was the loser as far as government subsidies were concerned, adding that this sector had the potential to grow up to $3 billion mark if it got support from the ministries concerned.
"Today it is very heartening to learn that the government announced a concessionary rate of electricity for the exporters but limited it to five blue-eyed industries, textile, leather, surgical appliances, sports goods and carpet industry," a former chairman of the Pakistan Seafood Exporters Association, Syed Akhlaq Hussain Abidi, said while talking to the Business Recorder.
He asked why the government never paid attention to the seafood sector, saying that this sector had the capacity to earn $3 billion if the government began looking after the sector.
"But we don't know why the government discouraged this industry?" he asked. He said the removal of the ISPA support to industry was deferred for a month after much hue and cry since the industry was closed during the high season of fishing in the wake of the lockdown by the Sindh government.
"Very recently the government took away support of ISPA and burdened the industry with retrospective charges," Abidi added. The five industries were awarded a "concessionary" rate of Rs7.50 with all inclusive charges whereas the seafood export sector was charged at Rs18 a unit "high tariff". The seafood industry was a 95 percent export industry, he said.