KARACHI, July 21: Wheat traders are expected to be given further concession in the import as the government is said to be considering to removing the condition of sending officials from Pakistan to inspect the consignment at the port of loading. Well placed sources are hopeful of getting a positive decision on Friday from a meeting of the senior officials of the food and agriculture and the commerce ministries at the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.

In its initial notification, the government while allowing import of wheat has made it mandatory to get the consignment inspected at the Karachi port. This was rejected by the traders as many of them were not ready to risk about Rs500 million investment on wheat import and then depend on the whims of the bureaucrats of the food and agricultural ministry and the plant protection department for clearance.

Responding quickly after noticing the wheat prices started crawling up in the domestic market, the government amended the notification and withdrew the inspection clause at the port of discharge.

Instead, it was decided to arrange despatch of Pakistan officials to the ports of origin for inspection.

This was to be done at the expense of the importers and it would have involved additional expenditure and also time for arranging visas and visit of at least two Pakistani officers at the port of origin which could be in the US, Australia, Canada, Ukraine or Russia.

The sources close to the ministry said there were strong indications that government was now considering to drop this condition also of inspecting the incoming wheat consignment by Pakistani officials.

There is a government approved list of five private international shipment inspectors who are available on almost all the ports of the world. Besides, the government of the port of origin has also its own quarantine regulations. Pakistan government is now expected to give consent to accept the validity of the certificates from any of the five approved international shipment inspectors and of the relevant agency from where the wheat is bought and loaded. If necessary, the government will fumigate the consignment at the Karachi port.