The government has decided to lift the ban on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat and abolish duties on import of the commodity in order to ensure availability around the country.
The decisions were taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss the measures to cope with the country’s needs of the wheat and control the flour price, a PM Office press release said.
The meeting decided that the government would allow inter-provincial transportation of wheat and remove all the check posts established between the provinces to check the movement of the wheat.
The government will also allow the import of wheat through the private sector without any restriction on the limit. The imports will be made by the private sector.
The meeting also decided to completely abolish 6 percent import duty on wheat and an additional 2 percent duty currently applicable to wheat import.
It was decided that the government will curb the smuggling of wheat and flour and launch a huge crackdown on the hoarders.
The meeting also discussed the volume of the wheat crop in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, procurement by the provincial governments, available stock, and needs of the provinces.
