RAWALPINDI  - The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday demanded withdrawal of taxes and import duty on poultry feed, failing which would cause a major blow to the essential food item production.
RCCI President Dr Shimail Daud Arain pointed out that budget document for 2014-15 has recommended withdrawal of all SROs issued in the past. If this step was taken, he said, it would cause an automatic imposition of import duty of 5 percent besides GST on the import of poultry feed whereby increasing the market price of the essential food items in the poultry sector.
Dr Shimail said that absence of raw material for poultry feed at the indigenous level, the poultry farmers were bent to import the poultry feed in shape of sunflower feed. The prices of sunflower feed, he said, have recently increased in the international market from $500 per metric ton to $700 per metric ton which would impact the prices of local poultry production.
If the duty and taxes were not immediately withdrawn these will cast further impact on the prices whereby boosting the commodity prices out of the reach of a common man. He proposed that orders be passed for importing poultry feed duty and tax free.
He assured all help and said the matter would soon be taken to the concerned quarters for an immediate remedy. The meeting was also attended by senior vice president Malik Salim Shahid, Vice President Alim Chughtai and members of the Executive Committee besides members of the Chamber.