960410

Crop insurance

scheme will be

implemented

on time

ISLAMABAD: Timely implementation of the Crop Insurance Scheme is being ensured and it will be implemented as decided by the cabinet and later by the Ministry of Commerce in its special meeting on the subject held on February,18, 1996.

This was disclosed by a high official of the Ministry of Commerce who dispelled the impression created by some newspapers that there is any diffrence between the government and private Insurance Companies and imlementation of the scheme will be delayed.

The official said that a technical committee had been constituted to submit its recommondation by the end of March 1996, "it was unfair to anticipate the delay in filing of the report by the committee as the delay in implementation of the scheme."

It is pertinent to mention that a technical committee had been constituted to fine tune various aspects of the crop insurance scheme. The committee headed by Chairman Pakistan Insurance Corporation, are examining the feasibility of obtaining reinsurance from international reinsurer.

Additional Chief Secretaries of all the four provinces, Deputy Governor, State Bank and Chairman Agriculture Development Bank are the members of the Technical Committee.

It was decided that initially one crop shall be covered under this scheme but shall be extended to all major crops such as cotton, wheat, sugarcane and rice.

It was also decided that at the later stage it will be converted into comprehensive one which will also cover the partial losses. Other crops like oil seeds, pulses, trees like poplar will be included thereafter.-APP