The Nation reports that while addressing a press conference, PFMA central chairman Zahoor Ahmed Agha said that Indian wheat costs the millers Rs1,140 per 40kg after including loading, unloading, duties and transportation costs while local wheat cost them around Rs1300 per 40kg.
If the federal government allows import of wheat from India via Wagha, it would also be beneficial to the general masses, as the retail price of flour may be reduced by Rs10-20 per 20kg bag, Mr Agha claimed.
He lamented that Pakistani wheat is one of the costliest around the world and it is more beneficial for the millers to import wheat from other parts of the world and re-export food products after value addition.
He observed that the Pakistan flour industry has become uncompetitive due to a huge jump in support prices of wheat announced every consecutive year by the last PPP-led government.
Addressing the press conference, PFMA Sindh chairman Ch Ansar Javed told the media that the Sindha government has withdrawn subsidies on flour and has decided to adopt a new procedure of target subsidy.
Flour millers criticized the subsidy on flour sold at utility stores and demanded the government to get supplies for utility stores from all four mills equally.
