ISLAMABAD   -   A parliamentary committee on Wednes­day recommended the federal govern­ment to fix the minimum support price of wheat at Rs3000 per 40 kg.

The meeting of the Standing Com­mittee on Commerce, which was held under the chairmanship of Raza Rab­bani Khar, MNA, discussed the wheat issue. The Committee was briefed on the import price of wheat 2022-23 in connection with minimum support price (MSP) of wheat crop 2023-24. 

The chair expressed displeasure over the absence of the secretary National Food Security & Research and the chief secretaries of the provinces. He directed all the representatives to attend the next meeting with their final recommenda­tions on MSP, availability of fertilizer and the seed. The representative from Ministry of National Food Security along with food secretaries from all the four provinces briefed the committee on fix­ing the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat before the cultivation of wheat. The chairman emphasized the mini­mum support price of wheat should be fixed at maximum level so that mini­mum wheat can be imported.

After a detailed discussion, the com­mittee recommended that the federal government may announce the mini­mum support price (MSP) of wheat in the mid of September and the MSP may be not less than Rs3000 per 40 kg as an incentive to our own grower. Ear­lier in this year, on a summary of the Minis­try of National Food Secu­rity and Research, the gov­ernment had approved the increase in the minimum support price to Rs2,200 from Rs1,950 per 40 kilograms for wheat crop 2021-22.

Meanwhile, the parliamentary com­mittee has approved “The Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2022” (Gov­ernment Bill). The committee has also considered “The Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2022” (Government Bill). The Committee recommended that the proposed Amendment in section 2 Clause (p) of the Trade Organization Act of 2013, be proposed as follows: “Regu­lator means the Director General or any officer not less than grade 20 appointed by the division concerned to perform functions under this Act.

The committee has deferred fur­ther discussion on “The Trade Organizations (Amendment) Bill, 2022” (Government Bill) and decided to invite the representatives from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Com­merce and Industry (FPCCI), along with the representatives of chambers from all the provinces, in the next meeting of the Committee. The Com­mittee has also deferred briefing on E-Commerce, Foreign Trade, TDAP, and performance of trade & investment Ministers/Counselors posted in Paki­stani’s Trade Missions abroad, for the next meeting of the Committee.