October 12, 2010

Pakistani group puts off tax regime on poultry sector

Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) has urged the government not to bring poultry sector under the proposed Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST) regime, as it is an agro-based industry and provides the cheapest meat.

According to reports, the association also urged the government to abolish regulatory duty imposed on the import of corn and apply electricity tariff on the poultry farms in line with the agricultural tariff.

The PPA-Northern Zone chairman Abdul Haye Mehta said that 25% regulatory duty was imposed on import of corn some one and half year back to stabilise the declining corn prices, but it was not lifted later on.

Mehta said that the government should waive off this duty as corn constitutes 60% of the poultry feed. Regarding high prices of poultry meat and eggs, he said that prices go up or down in line with the demand and production of these items.