June 06, 2006	Tuesday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1427

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FAISALABAD, June 5: Representatives of various trade organisations, mainly textile exporters, have termed the budget anti-export and anti-textile. Pakistan Textile Exporters Association chief Rana Arif Tauseef said manufacturers and exporters had been raising voice against high rate of export finance, increasing cost of production to high taxes but the government had failed to announce any relief. He said that the export target could not be achieved during the next fiscal year.

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mian Muhammad Haneef said that not a single demand or proposal of the traders had been accepted. He said that the traders had demanded withdrawal of withholding tax on payment of cheques but the government had instead doubled it.

He said the budget was consumer oriented but not trade friendly which would create more problems for the industrial sector, especially the textile segment.

Faisalabad Dryport Trust chairman Muhammad Sadique Chaudhry declared the budget as anti-industry, adding that no relief had been announced.

He said that the industrialists had been facing serious financial problems due to high cost of production and were expecting some relief.

Gastroenteritis: The outbreak of the gastroenteritis epidemic in Ghulam Muhammadabad and its adjoining areas has been controlled as there was no report of any fresh patient during last couple of days.

The emergency facilities provided by the health department in the General Hospital of Ghulam Muhammadabad, Allied Hospital and some private centers have been enhanced.

Doctors on duty have confirmed decrease in the number of patients. There is no report of any death from any part of the affected areas during the last six days.

District Coordination Officer Azam Suleman Khan claimed here on Friday that due to timely arrangements made by the local administration the epidemic did not spread.

He said the work on the replacement of water supply pipelines was going on in full swing and the provincial government had directed the authorities concerned to complete the task within stipulated time.