MULTAN : Pakistan Cotton Ginners Association (PCGA) Chairman Javed Suhail Rehmani, Hafiz Abdul Latif Vice Chairman of PCGA,Former Chairmen,Haji Muhammad Akram and Ch.Waheed Arshad has expressed their concern on the rejection of a summary of Ministry of National Food Security & Research by Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) pertaining to fixation of minimum support price of cotton and procurement of at least 2 million bales of cotton through Trading Corporation of Pakistan describing it ill-conceived and unwise step. Taking to newsmen here today Javed Suhail Rehmani said that Government would have to introduce a comprehensive and unambiguous cotton policy because cotton is a backbone of Pakistan's economy. It provides jobs to millions of people and contribute more than 60 percent in country's exports. They stressed the need for boosting up the cotton production by taking remedial measures like bringing maximum area under cotton crop, announcement of support price before sowing, Giving incentives to farmers directly in cash, Ensure disposal of cotton on international market price.He said that we have already submitted our proposals to save the cotton economy. Haji Muhammad Akram Group chairman said ," We have no political motive nor we want to create any trouble for the Present Government" but we want to save the sinking textile industry and its allied units due to pandemic Coronavirus so that millions of people could be saved from joblessness and economy could be revived . They have appealed to Prime Minister, Governor State Bank and heads of all commercial Banks to waive the mark-up on the limits of Ginners and recovery of loans must be deferred for a year for survival of Textile as well as ginning industry.They reiterated their demand for relaxation in lock down for Textile, weaving, spinning and other related sectors so that unsold stock could be disposed of.They feared that cotton sowing would be badly hit if arrears of growers were not cleared immediately and dream of self sufficiency in cotton could not be come true.They stressed the need for the revival of ginning industry which is facing severe liquidity crunch.They further demand that electricity tariff must be fixed at Rs.10/unit like other exportable industries.
