Pakistan Bans Wheat Imports and Flour Exports Amid Surplus

Pakistan Bans Wheat Imports and Flour Exports Amid Surplus

Dil Bar Irshad | July 13, 2024 | 05:18 PM IST | Breaking News, Pakistan News | Follow on Google News

Pakistan Bans Wheat Imports and Flour Exports Amid Surplus

Pakistan Bans Wheat Imports and Flour Exports Amid Surplus

Key Highlights:

1. Pakistan bans wheat imports and flour exports due to surplus.
2. Government amends policy orders to enforce the ban.
3. Senate grants government power to remove SOE members based on board recommendations.

Pakistan Bans Wheat Imports and Flour Exports Amid Surplus

The Pakistani government has moved to regulate the wheat market by banning wheat imports and flour exports, according to a notification from the Ministry of Commerce reported by Ary News. The decision follows an assessment that the country had imported more wheat than needed, resulting in a surplus.

The government has amended its Import and Export Policy Orders 2022 to enforce the ban, which includes prohibiting the export of flour made from imported wheat. Earlier in March, the federal government had conditionally allowed the export of such flour under the Export Facilitation Scheme 2021.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the National Assembly on July 10, clarifying that no decision had been made regarding the export of wheat. This statement came as the State-Owned Enterprises (Governance and Operations) Bill, 2024 was expedited through the legislature. “No decision has been made for the export of wheat. I want to bring it on record before the House that there is no such decision for the wheat export,” Sharif said, responding to a point of order raised by a parliamentarian.

Sharif also referenced the previous government’s (PTI) involvement in sugar and wheat scams, noting that wheat and sugar were first exported and then imported, raising questions about the financial implications of these transactions.

Meanwhile, the Senate has passed a new amendment granting the government the authority to remove members of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) based on recommendations from the board nomination committee. This amendment will become law once signed by President Asif Ali Zardari.

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.