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Export duty on livestock to be cut by 5 percent

T A Malik

Islamabad: The government has decided to reduce export duty by five percent on the export of livestock under its new National Livestock Policy, which is likely to be announced by the end of current month after the approval of the cabinet, it is reliably learnt.

Sources said that the Livestock division has been asked to submit its proposals by April 15, 2000 to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for submission to the cabinet.

At present, the government is charging 15 percent duty on the export of live animals, their casings and other allied products.

Sources said that there is also a proposal for the Special Inspection Force to raid butchers' shops and slaughterhouses to check the beef, mutton and white meat.

The livestock division will collect the data of the livestock farms on country-wide, and register them for information.

According to new policy, exporters not following "good management practice", will not be allowed to export, the sources added.

There are only 13 exporters of beef, mutton and livestock in the country, and Pakistan has earned Rs 36 billion from the export of it from January 1999 to December 1999.

An official of Ministry of Food and Agriculture told Business Recorder that, there is no ban on the export of livestock and its allied parts from any country of the world and added that European Union has also approved 31 casings processing units and 13 bones processing units for export.

The approval has been given after inspecting by the European Union Inspectors and remaining has been asked to improve their processing units otherwise export will not be allowed.

The government has also earned Rs 11.74 million through a fee levied on the import and export of livestock's from July 1999 to January 2000, the sources added.

To a question about 'mad cow' disease, he said that there is no mad cow disease reported or discovered in Pakistani cows till date.

He said informed that the government had announced a livestock policy in 1990-91, but after lapse of 10 years the sector is working without policy.

The present government attatches high priority to the agriculture and livestock sectors to boost them to provide protection to the general public at lower level, he added.