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FAISALABAD, Oct 20: The Faisalabad Flour Mills Association has threatened to close their units in protest against the supply of substandard wheat and indifferent attitude of the food department functionaries.
FFMA chairman Asif Javed and general secretary Muhammad Salim said at a news conference here on Monday the millers had decided to boycott the Ramazan Package announced by the government because substandard wheat was being supplied to them from the food department godowns.
They alleged that corrupt food officials were providing them low weight bags. The incharges of Kanjwani and Darul Ihsan godowns had supplied 500,000 kilograms less wheat to mills during the last 10 days with the connivance of senior food department officials thus misappropriated over Rs5 million.
They said formal complaints about the less weight and supply of substandard wheat were lodged before the officials concerned but no action has so far been taken in this regard.
They demanded the government to take stock of the situation and register cases against the corrupt officials.
CLOTH EXPORTERS: Customs Collector Hafiz Anis has said the decisions regarding expeditious payment of rebate and retrospective implementation of new SRO on cotton-polyester mixing will be made within a couple of days.
He told the office-bearers of All-Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association (APCEA) and Faisalabad Dryport Trust here on Monday that directives had already been issued for the expeditious disposal of the rebate claims.
“Claims of gold and non-gold categories are being decided without any discrimination and the process is being completed within a week.”
About the new SRO issued on cotton-polyester mix, the collector said it was being implemented from the date of issue. However, the decision regarding its implementation with retrospective effect on old cases would be taken soon.
About mixing of fabrics, he said minimum ratio mentioned in laboratory report would be taken into account to workout rebate. However, he assured to review their demand to fix it according to the upper side of the ratio.
The collector agreed in principle to increase custom clearance timing from 5pm to 8pm during November and December to accommodate the rush of exporters before the end of calendar year.
APCEA chief Ahmad Kamal explained the problems being faced by the exporters in the wake of new WTO regime. He complained of discriminatory attitude being meted out with the upcountry exporters who are being denied the facilities and incentives enjoyed by the exporters of port city.
Dryport chairman Sheikh Mukhtar Ahmad explained the measures taken to encourage exporters to use the facility.
He said tariff and transport fares have been reduced, but still more than 50n per cent exporters were using Karachi and Lahore dryports.
CM’S VISIT: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi will arrive here on Tuesday to attend a number of meetings and visit health and educational institutions.
He will take a round of the recently completed Maternity Hospital and attend a function in the Government Girls College, Karkhana Bazaar.
He will preside over a meeting of the district heads at the local Circuit House.
ACCIDENT: Two brothers died in an accident on Nishatabad overhead bridge here on Monday.
Shafiq Ahmad, 55, along with his brother Muhammad Boota, 50, were on their way to attend a marriage party by a motorcycle. Shafique lost control and the motorcycle slipped as a result of which they sustained serious head injuries and died on the spot.
