Zulfikar Thaver promises to secure interest of Small and Medium Enterprises in rice sector

Karachi, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) invited the attention of Alamgir Chaudhry the CEO of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to the difficulties faced by the SME rice growers, millers, processors and exporters and urged study and examination of the issues of the rice industry and suggestion of remedial measures to the ministries of agriculture and commerce to save the rice industry.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said it is incumbent upon SMEDA to look into the predicament of the SMEs engaged in the rice business which is in jeopardy due to the issues of the industry and unable to survive under such circumstances especially when there is global decline in commodities market.

He advised all SMEs in rice business be it growing, milling, processing or exports to register themselves with SMEDA and inform the difficulties which they are facing to enable SMEDA study the hardships and raise the issues effectively with the concerned ministries. Thaver said after cotton textiles, rice was the second biggest export earning industry but due to lack of interest the industry has suffered loss and more than 1000 rice units have closed down.

UNISAME experts said due to high farm inputs the rice prices have become non-competitive and secondly primitive methods of cultivation and poor condition of the soil the yields per acre have fallen. Thirdly there is no research for new varieties and fourthly there is no marketing support from the government. Fifthly due to poor logistics the rice industry remains behind our neighbouring country India which is competing us.

One important point which needs to be seriously looked into by the Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) is the sub standard fertilizers and counterfeit fumigation medicines supplied for destroying insecticides and pesticides. The SME farmer is paying through the nose for these inputs and suffering losses because of its ineffectiveness or low potency.

The modern day logistic companies have a system of collateral management which is comprehensive and covers inspection at different stages, risk management with insurance, warehouse receipt financing, speedy movements and tracking thus making banks comfortable in financing the SME rice traders before and after shipments. It is high time the rice industry is modernized and SMEDA can play an important role in its up gradation and modernization.

They also complained about the poor representation and advocacy of the Basmati Growers Association (BGA) at the forum in India whereby Pakistan was denied the Geographical Indication (GI) inclusion of basmati rice. Basmati is grown in India and Pakistan since more than centuries and not including Pakistani basmati rice in the GI amounts to a very apparent and serious error in judgement but the SMEs fail to understand why on earth the BGA challenged the Indian application in the Indian court when India was aiming at identification in India only and it was not a global GI application. Secondly having challenged it, why did it not do its homework and advocate the case wholeheartedly.

However it is unfortunate that the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) did not take interest in the matter and pursue to expedite the GI law in Pakistan. Alamgir Chaudhry chief executive officer (CEO) SMEDA has promised and assured UNISAME chief that he would discuss future strategy with his team on priority to secure the interest of the SMEs in the rice sector.

For more information, contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35884225-6
Fax: +92-21-35380642
Cell: +92-300-8245307, +92-321-8245307
Email: unisame@gmail.com

Government’s export deal to revive sinking rice sector: Shahid Rasheed Butt

Islamabad, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): Patron Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders Shahid Rasheed Butt on Sunday lauded the government for 4-year rice export deal with Indonesia which will bailout the troubled sector and stabilise prices at home. He demanded more long and short term agreements with other countries to boost the rice sector which is facing problems since some tears.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that export of rice to Indonesia will boost overall exports to 4.6 million tonnes which will be a record for which credit goes to the government. Pakistan’s export forecast has recently been raised by 0.1m tonnes in the wake of a deal with Indonesia. He said that reasons behind crisis in rice sector include high production cost, too much focus of exporters on profit and availability of Indian rice on low rates.

Local exporters want to sell rice at 950 to 1100 dollars per tonne while Indians offer prices as low as 720 to 850 per tonne because of the low production cost and hidden subsidies. India’s move to sell basmati at lower prices had taken a toll on Pakistan’s exports but our exporters remained unwilling to bring down their prices, said Butt.

The veteran business leader said that Iran is another promising market where Pakistani rice is in great demand but payment mechanism continues to discourage exporters. He said that India will be a major competitor to Pakistan in the Iranian market for which exporters and government needs to make an effective strategy.

For more information, contact:
Jahangir Akhtar
Secretary General
Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry
Office No, 9 Block E, Super Market, Islamabad
Cell: 0344-5111174

Clarification by Privatisation Commission to incorrect allegations levelled in ARY TV’s program Power Play

Islamabad, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): The Privatisation Commission (PC) has always reiterated its commitment to ensure the highest standards of integrity and transparency in conducting all its transactions. It is therefore extremely important for the PC to highlight and clarify the misleading information and documents, which are being used by both selected media and other representatives to misrepresent the transaction process of Heavy Electrical Complex (HEC) and Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC). It is pivotal to us that our key stakeholders – especially the public of Pakistan – are fully aware of the correct facts.

In a TV program, “Power Play”, aired by the ARY TV channel on Feb. 05, 2016, the PC has been accused of deliberately under-valuating HEC by presenting documents that show HEC’s worth to be evaluated to Rs 1.4 billion but sold for Rs 250 million in cash. The presenter of the show did not show the complete information, as he only picked selective parts from the information set submitted to the Senate Standing Committee for Finance and Privatisation.

The reality is that M/s Deloitte, PC appointed ‘Valuator’ for the transaction, had recommended that the sale price range that should be considered for purpose of setting up the ‘reserve price’ should be between Rs. 455 million to Rs. 978 million. In light of the M/s Deloitte Valuation Report and while considering the recommendations of the PC Board, the Cabinet Committee on the Privatisation (CCoP) approved a reserve price of Rs 500 million for HEC.

However, the buyer, i.e. M/s Cargill Holding limited (CHL), being the sole bidder, initially offered only Rs 28 million, which was increased to Rs 250 million after negotiations between the sole bidder and PC. This offer was submitted by the PC management to the PC Board with the recommendation to either accept the offer or reject the same; in case of rejection, PC Board was asked to either allow delisting of the entity from the list of privatisation or to allow PC to advertise the process again.

The PC Board recommended the same to the CCoP, which accepted the offer of M/s CHL by stipulating certain additional conditions, i.e. cash payment of Rs 250 million, transfer of bank liabilities of HEC amounting to Rs 435 million, surrendering of ‘Deferred Tax’ amounting to Rs 190 million, surrendering of ‘Sales Tax Refund’ rights amounting to 191 million and picking up of gratuity related liabilities amounting to Rs 30 million. Hence the total sale price amounted to Rs 1095 million and not merely Rs 250 million, as the TV Anchor falsely presented as the final approved sale price.

The criticism on the process run by PC for the HEC transaction was unjustified, and also needs to be clarified; this was the 4th attempt to sell HEC since 2006, as in all previous attempts not once did any bidder turn up and deposit the Earnest Money. The challenge to sell HEC has mainly been due to the consistently dropping sales, i.e. from Rs 900 million in 2010 to Rs 40 million in 2014.

Furthermore, HEC had also run out of cash to pay off salaries since January 2014, and required an instant cash injection of Rs 350 million for vital capital expenditure to the run the factory, besides requiring working capital. Keeping in view HEC’s weak financial circumstances, PC pre-qualified all three interested parties and permitted them to be a part of the bidding to enhance competition and get the best possible value for the entity at the time of bidding. This recommendation of the Transaction Committee was approved by the PC Board in its meeting held on February 04, 2015.

Unfortunately, two out of the three interested parties backed out from this transaction after conducting their own due diligence, leaving only M/s CHL as the sole bidder and who deposited the Earnest Money of Rs 25 million. However, due to depositing a wrongly drawn cheque, this amount today stands FORFEITED by PC; in addition, PC has got registered an FIR against the representative of M/s CHL.

Had PC any mala-fide intentions to give any benefit whatsoever to M/s CHL during the entire process, PC would have facilitated the buyer to take over HEC on their own given conditions, rather than revoking the Letter of Acceptance (LoA), forfeiting the Rs 25 million Ernest Money, and getting criminal cases registered against M/s CHL. PC has so far won two cases at the Islamabad High Court filed against it by M/s CHL.

Similarly, misleading information and documents were presented on the transaction process of PIA, as the program host claimed that PC has undervalued PIAC on same lines as HEC. The PC would like to clarify that PC has not conducted any valuation on PIAC as of yet, i.e. it’s enterprise value or real estate properties or any business segment thereof.

Documents shown in the program may be extracts of PIA’s own financial statements or corporate information, which is public information. It is a standard practice among all corporate entities to conduct valuations of its real estate properties and other business segments as part of its annual financial statements. Any valuation documents prepared or shown may therefore have been conducted by the entity itself, and PC has no role whatsoever in such valuation activities conducted by an entity itself.

The Privatisation Commission has furthermore made it abundantly clear on all forums, including to the Senate, NA and related Parliamentary Committees that PIA Investment Ltd and its assets, namely Roosevelt Hotel in New York and Scribe Hotel in Paris, are not part of the on-going Transaction activities. The present focus is only to solicit strategic partnership in PIA’s core airline operations. The latter can be verified from both the EOI and RFP package in case of the PIA transaction, issued by PC in 2014 and the FASA signed by PC in 2014.

Lastly, the Privatisation Commission also regrets the dishonest approach used by the program host when claiming that the Chairman Privatisation Commission, Mr. Muhammad Zubair had committed to participate in his program but deliberately did not show up; whereas the Chairman PC had received the invitation a day before the program but had immediately also communicated his unavailability due to his travel plans for Karachi.

Several national media organisations reported on same evening that PC Chairman was meeting with the Joint Action Committee of PIA for negotiations in Karachi, which documents his unavailability for the program on Friday. The Chairman’s unavailability was conveyed under the presence of another senior journalist of ARY News, Mr. Kashif Abbasi on which Mr. Arshad Sharif and his team suggested that they would postpone the program to ensure Mr. Zubair’s participation.

However, the program was neither postponed nor was the Chairman’s genuine reason for being unavailable presented to the audience – rather the host hid the factual facts and continuously propagated the opposite, which is unfortunately a very unethical and dishonest approach. The Privatisation Commission welcomes any dialogue or query related to its work. PC strongly believes that the people of Pakistan deserve to be presented only with factually correct and unbiased information.

For more information, contact:
Privatisation Commission
5-A EAC Building Constitution Avenue,
Islamabad- Pakistan
Tel: +9251 920 5146 -47
Fax: +9251 920 3076
Email: info@privatisation.gov.pk

Another cop decamps with rifle in Srinagar

Srinagar, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, in another incident of policemen deserting the force, a cop posted in Srinagar decamped with a rifle sending entire police department into a tizzy. An alert has been sounded across the territory. Police said Reyaz Ahmed Shah s/o Abdul Ghani, a follower (belt number 175 F), posted at police station Rainawari in Srinagar fled along with his rifle.

Shah is a resident of Khansahab in Badgam district. Police said that an alert was soon sounded across the Valley. “All police stations have been directed to remain alert and to launch a hunt to track Shah,” they said. “There is an apprehension that he may have joined Mujahideen.” An FIR has been registered in police station Rainawari and a departmental inquiry initiated.

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Syed Javid Mujtaba Gilani, said that police are looking into the causes why cops are fleeing with weapons. “This is really worrisome for us and we are looking into it. We have already taken some measures and we would now start counselling of cops to prevent them from taking any harsh step,” he said in an interview.

This is the third incident over the past 11 months wherein cops decamped with rifles. Meanwhile, police said a the youth martyred, identified as Syed Mufeed Bashir, by Indian troops yesterday in Pulwama had last year fled from police lines Pulwama only after two days of joining as SPO.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

Anti Narcotics Force foils 4 attempts to smuggle heroin abroad at Benazir Bhutto International Airport

Islamabad, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): ANF foiled 4 attempts to smuggle Heroin abroad and seized 34.7 Kg Heroin concealed in luggage of 4 different foreign bound passengers at Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad. The worth of the seized Heroin amounts to Rs 222 Million (22 Crore 20 Lac) in International Market.

According to details, ANF Rawalpindi Airport Team while acting upon an intelligence report, arrested 2 passengers identified as Qasim Ali and Ghulam Ai both hailing from Sargodha and recovered 5.650 Kg Heroin from luggage of each of the passengers, consequently, 11.3 Kg Heroin was recovered from both the passengers. They were taken into custody separately from pedestrian entry gate of BBIA. Both the accused passengers were scheduled to fly for Riyadh by Shaheen Airline Flight No. NL-739.

Further, ANF Rawalpindi Airport Team also arrested Muhammad Saghir resident of Sialkot at BBIA and recovered 11.350 Kg Heroin from his luggage, who was to fly for Austria by Qatar Airline Flight No. QR-613; while another passenger named Ashfaq Ali resident of Faisalabad was detained on recovery of 12.05 Kg Heroin contained in his baggage. He was to take off for Italy by Turkish Airline Flight No. TK-711. Separate cases have been registered at respective ANF Police Station and further investigation is underway.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
Anti Narcotics Force (ANF)
National Park Road, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270173
Fax: +92-51-9270165
Email: anf@anf.gov.pk
Website: www.anf.gov.pk

Maqbool Butt, Afzal Guru hanged to terrify Kashmiris: HCBA

Srinagar, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): The High Court Bar Association (HCBA) of occupied Kashmir has said that martyred liberation leaders, Mohammad Maqbool Butt and Mohammad Afzal Guru were sent to the gallows to terrify Kashmiris. Muhammad Maqbool Butt was hanged in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984, while Muhammad Afzal Guru was sent to the gallows in the same jail on February 9, 2013. Both the leaders remain buried in the premises of the jail.

The HCBA in a meeting said that Maqbool Butt and Afzal Guru were hanged only to subjugate and suppress the voice of Kashmiris. The Bar said the Indian judiciary, by hanging Maqbool Butt and Afzal Guru, exposed itself, as Supreme Court of India recently commuted the death sentence of 30 prisoners on account of delay. Afzal Guru, who was sentenced to death in 2002 and was on the death row at serial number 23, was picked out of turn and was executed after a period of more than 11 years, and that too without allowing his wife, son, and other family members to see him for the last time,” the meeting said.

Paying tributes to Butt and Guru, the meeting said: “Both were shining stars of Kashmir’s liberation movement and by laying down their lives, for a pious cause, they didn’t only achieve martyrdom but gave a new impetus and life to the ongoing freedom struggle of Kashmir.”

Meanwhile the HCBA saluted the determination and steadfastness of Dr Mohammad Qasim Faktoo. The Bar members said, “Qasim has completed his 23 years of imprisonment in different jails of the territory and outside and never bowed before the authorities on his ideology.”

The Bar said that the incarceration of Qasim was just a political vendetta and appealed to the world to impress upon India for seeking release of Dr Qasim.” On the other hand, Hurriyet leaders Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Yousuf Naqash and Farooq Ahmad Tawheedi in their separate statements also paid tributes to martyrs Muhammad Maqbool Butt and Muhammad Afzal Guru.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736

People massively participate in funeral of Pulwama youth

Srinagar, February 07, 2016 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, thousands of people, today, attended funeral prayers of a youth martyred by Indian troops in Pulwama district. The youth identified as Raqib Bashir was martyred by troops during a siege and search operation in Veerbagh Gundipora area of the district, yesterday. He was the resident Zadoora in Pulwama district.

Complete shutdown was observed in Zadoora and adjoining areas against the killing of the youth. People also came out to the streets and raised anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. People from different walks of life including Hurriyet leaders Firdous Ahmad Shah, Abdul Ahad Parra, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Advocate Zahid Ali, Feroz Ahmad Shah and Abdul Samad Inqilabi attended the funeral.

Hurriyet leader Zafar Akbar Butt in a statement paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth. A JKMS delegation comprising Meraj-ud-Din, Beigh Aijaz, Javed Ahmad, Muzaffar Malik, Zulfikar Hamid and others attended the funeral of Raqib Bashir. Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League in a statement also paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth.

Meanwhile, life remained crippled in Hajan and adjoining areas of Bandipora district for the fourth consecutive day, today, due to strike against the killing of two youth by Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Indian police at Khos Mohalla in the district on Thursday. Traffic on Srinagar-Bandipora road remained suspended. Large number of personnel of paramilitary forces and police were deployed in main town Hajan and adjoining areas. Shops and business establishments also remained closed.

The Muslim Deeni Mahaz in a statement issued in Srinagar condemned the arrest of Maulana Nisar Ahmad in Jammu for distributing pamphlets in connection with the completion of 23 years of Dr Muhammad Qasim Fakhtoo’s illegal imprisonment.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Phone: 92-51-4435548, 4435549
Fax: 92-51-4861736