LAHORE: Flour millers have declined to accept Punjab government’s request of postponing their strike until Youm-i-Ashur to ensure smooth supply of atta during Muharram days.

Punjab food minister Bilal Yaseen had invited representatives of Punjab chapter of Pakistan Flour Mills Association and Progressive Flour Millers Group for a meeting to discuss the strike by the industry from July 11 for an indefinite period to protest against imposition of withholding tax (WHT) on the sale of atta.

The government side, including food secretary Moazzam Iqbal Sipra and food director Shoaib Jadoon, tried to convince the millers to put off their strike until Youm-i-Ashur so that the people did not face flour shortage.

However, the millers declined to oblige saying the WHT was a federal subject and the strike decision had been taken nation-wide, only the national body of the PFMA could review the decision, said a participant in the meeting.

He told Dawn that the minister and food department high-ups were also informed about the ground reality that the atta dealers were not ready to share their computerised national identity cards and tax status (filer or non-filer) with the mills and were rather ready to suspend lifting the staple if forced to submit the CNIC and tax details.

Likewise, the government team was also challenged on fixing atta rates for various markets in the province, while the authorities were not ready to ensure a fixed rate of wheat in the markets, he added.

“We rather told the government side that imposition of WHT on multiple stages would make the staple costlier contrary to its claims of providing cheaper atta to the people by not purchasing grain from the farmers.”

Meanwhile, Punjab plans to launch fortified atta shortly to overcome certain medical issues of children and women.

A spokesperson for the department said that the fortified flour would contain iron, vitamin and other minerals found to be deficient among children and women in the province.

He said that only Punjab Food Authority labs would be authorised to test samples of the fortified flour.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024