|
|
|
| October 23, 2005 | Sunday | Ramzan 18, 1426 |
Release of imported wheat allowed
MULTAN, Oct 22: Federal Agriculture Ministry’s department of plant protection has issued release orders of a consignment of imported wheat after its inspection carried out under ‘special circumstances’ at outer anchorage of the Karachi port.
The DPP officials had conducted the inspection on account of pests and pesticides residues. Official sources said that the final release order would however be issued by the Directorate General of Food after having a positive report from the experts of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council.
The consignment of nearly 50,000 tons of wheat imported by a Karachi-based firm had reached the country through a ship called ‘Captain Pegglezos’ on Monday last reportedly from Russia without having been duly inspected by the agriculture ministry’s representatives at the port of loading.
The wheat import in the country is currently being regulated under the rules and regulations laid down in the SRO-709 issued on July 13 this year having the title ‘Import of wheat by private sector’. The government has laid down certain technical, procedural and pre-shipment conditions through this statutory notification for the import of wheat in the country.
Under the SRO, the intended importers will have to accept deputation of an official team comprising officials of the PARC and the DPP designated by the Minfal to the port of loading for the purposes of inspection and overseeing the compliance of requirements laid down in the law. The importers are also directed to get pre-shipment inspection of the commodity through one of the five international agencies approved by the government of Pakistan.
The importers are liable to ensure access of the pre-shipment inspectors and the Minfal representatives to the stocks for inspection, sampling and testing before being set off for Pakistan from the exporting country in order to ensure that the consignment is as per the specifications and standards set for the wheat import.
Arranging visas for the Minfal team for the exporting country has been the responsibility of the intended importer under the rules.
However, the wheat reached through the ship could not be inspected by the Minfal people at the port of loading due to what is being described by the authorities in the federal agriculture ministry and the importer as ‘unavoidable circumstances.’
The importer, Rashid Barkat, said that they had applied for the visas of the officials designated by the Minfal for the stock inspection in Russia but unfortunately the same could not be issued well in time. He said the Russian department concerned had attached the invitation letter to an e-mail which the Russian consulate in Karachi refused to accept. They demanded the original invitation letter, which was later handed over to the consulate but, by that time, the sailing schedule for the ship had commenced.
Mr Barkat said that at this the ministry of agriculture was requested to conduct the inspection at the outer anchorage. “It was a risky move but we were confident about the quality (of the wheat),” he added, saying “a hefty sum of US $10m has been at stake”.
DPP director general Rashid Basheer Mazari said there was no provision in the SRO-709 for inspection of imported wheat at the outer anchorage. He said the wheat import needed to be handled with special care because of the sensitivities of the phytosanitary standards and the residual affects on the food items. “Our people are supposed to even check the machinery and containers involved in wheat handling at the port of loading to be satisfied that there are no hazardous residues on them,” he added.
When contacted, the Minfal joint secretary (Food) Nasir Mehmood Khosa said that the clause about inspection at the port of loading was incorporated in the SRO on the insistence of the private importers who wanted to have scrutinized the stocks in the exporting country according to the specifications before the ships carrying the consignments be set on sail.
He said however the decision to conduct inspection of the consignment in question was taken just to accommodate the private investor. “I don’t think that someone will take such a risk in future,” was his reply when asked what would be the government’s stance if other businessmen might also start evading inspections at the port of loading, taking advantage of the precedent. He once again reiterated that the quality and standards would not be compromised under any circumstances.
|
|
|
|
