Govt urged to fix tobacco rate

Islamabad Associations of the farmers have urged the government to fix tobacco rate at Rs300 per kilogram to provide relief to growers in the face of ever-rising inflation.

Officials of Kissan Board Pakistan and Kissan Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have made these demands through a convention of the farmers that was well attended by the growers and their representatives. They have warned the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) of imposition of any new tax on these products.

President of Kissan Board Pakistan said the government should introduce growers’ friendly policies in the country to promote agriculture, strengthen the country’s economy and support farmers.

He demanded the government to fix the rate of tobacco at Rs300 per kilogram to support the farmers.Speaking on the occasion, Senator Mushtaq Ahmed said that agriculture sector of the country was weakening due to poor policies of the government.

Addressing the farmers’ convention, President Kissan Board Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rizwanullah Khan said that arrears of the growers pending with the Universal Tobacco and Indus Tobacco should be immediately cleared.He said that Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) should cancel these companies’ quota if they failed to clear their arrears, and the government should initiate legal action against them.