ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: The government is considering a proposal to reduce the prices of agriculture inputs aimed at providing some relief to farmers.

Official announcement issued on Thursday said that to consider the proposal a high level meeting was chaired by federal minister for food, agriculture and livestock, Khair Muhammad Junejo here on Thursday.

The meeting was attended among others by secretary general finance, Moin Afzal, chairman, Central Board of Revenue(CBR), Riaz Malik and secretary, MINFAL, Shafqat Ezdi.

The prices of agriculture inputs increased following the imposition of General Sales Tax (GST) on all agriculture inputs— fertilizers of all kinds, pesticides— and increase in the rate of GST on the actual price of urea and levying of duties and the rates of utility rates.

The minister told the meeting that the government wanted to lessen the burden on the agriculturalists and would bring down production charges on the crops.

With the cutting down of the input charges, the prices of the food items would also come down. This would advance great financial benefits to the farmer as well, he added. President Musharraf had expressed his concern over the situation and desired to lower prices of agriculture inputs so that the farmer could get optimum profit from the situation.