October 10, 2006	Tuesday	Ramazan 16, 1427

ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has demanded of the government to withdraw the regulatory duty imposed on export of wheat flour.

The demand came in a meeting of the flour mills association led by Tariq Sadiq with ICCI President Nasir Khan here on Monday.

The ICCI president said that due to the levy the export of wheat flour to Afghanistan had drastically declined during the last year. “Once we lose the market it would be difficult to regain this market,” he asserted. He said that the government had already imported a sufficient stock of wheat, which was still available in Passco store. He was of the opinion that the government should withdraw the duty to utilise the Passco stock.

Tariq Sadiq said that arrangements being made by the government were not correct in handling of the wheat issue, adding that wheat imported last year was still lying with the government, whereas flour mills purchased their own stock. He said that to utilise this wheat, it was necessary that regulatory duty might be withdrawn.