20000220

Govt to buy all

cotton next year:

TCP to share profit

with growers: CE

MAQBOOL BUKHARI

MULTAN: The Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf, said here on Saturday that cotton policy would be declared in March and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan would procure the entire cotton crop from the growers from next year so that farmer could get fair return of their produce.

Addressing a gathering of farmers, industrialists, lawyers, and businessmen including women at the local Circuit House, the Chief Executive said: "We have decided to distribute the profit to be earned by TCP in cotton deals and export, and feasible procedure would be adopted for its return to growers".

He added that the Finance Minister was working out a system for this purpose.

He said that the present government was not responsible for the existing cotton crisis because the pervious regime had imported 1.8 million bales in spite of observing good cotton produce at home. Resultantly, he said, cotton growers could not get a fair return of their produce.

MICRO-CREDIT BANK: The Chief Executive said that the 'micro-credit bank' which is being established to provide small loans on soft terms and conditions to the farmers and cottage industry, would bring a revolution in country's development.

TAX SYSTEM: He said that a new strategy was being adopted by the government to reduce the tax rate and number of taxes and to expand the tax net. However there would be no tax on the poor. He said that government was simplifying and revamping the existing tax system to facilitate the tax payers, besides reducing the rate of income tax.

However, he asked the people belonging to different walks of life to pay income tax and other taxes to enable the government to recoup the health of national economy.

He asked the people to pay genuine tax properly so that the country could be strengthened economically. The Chief Executive said that almost all departments and institutions of national importance had gone to the verge of collapse due to the negligence and lack of interest shown by the previous government.

"However, now we see signs of improvement and efficiency in every sector", he added.

The Chief Executive said that Wapda was taking last breath but the army took it out of intensive care unit. Now it was being made healthier by taking some far-reaching measures. He assured the people that Wapda would supply free of cost electricity to agriculture sector if it strengthened itself and repaid foreign debts.

About the grim situation of Railways, Musharraf said that it was defaulter of Rs 19.46 billion. It had been paying Rs 3.325 billion annually as interest which included Rs 2.731 billion interest on overdraft.

He said that Railway's condition would be improved honestly, and all problems would be resolved with the cooperation of the masses.

Earlier, the president of Pakistan Kissan Council demanded in his address of welcome that a complete ban be imposed on the import of edible oil during the season of sunflower and canola in Pakistan, and cotton policy be declared in March of every year to attract the growers of Kharif crops.

He said Kalabagh dam be constructed immediately to meet the requirements of irrigation water and electricity. He said that free of cost or on cheaper rate, the electricity be provided to agriculture sector to make the country self-sufficient in food.

He said that Pakistan can save foreign exchange of Rs 20 billion by giving concession of merely Rs 2 billion in electricity.

He further demanded that complete ban be imposed on the import of seed of vegetables from India which caused viral attack on the crop.

The Chief Executive said that the government would spend Rs 20 billion on poverty alleviation programme in 2000-2001, while Rs 15 billion was being spent this year. He said that this year each district of the country would get Rs 350 million for poverty alleviation and development of the area. This programme would be launched under the supervision of the elite of the area and army monitoring team and administration.

He said that the previous regime had tried to kill the egg laying hen, "but we would make the hen healthier to eat eggs".

Musharraf said that every possible measure was being taken for inter-provincial harmony by ending the state of tense and sense of deprivation. He said that if the country would be stronger and prosperous then "we all" would be stronger.

About devolution of power, the Chief Executive said: "We want the devolution of power to union council level gradually after devolution at district and tehsil levels to resolve the problems of injustice, law and order and execution of development schemes.

He said that it would be a four-point formula:

(1) Elected representatives, to be elected just before ending the current year, would be empowered to raise funds and spend the resources locally. However, backward and less developed districts would be financed by the provincial and federal governments.

(2) All government functionaries would serve under the administrative control of elected representatives and they would do planning to resolve the problems confronted by the people.

(3) Justice would be provided quickly at their doorsteps.

(4) Elected representatives could be declared disqualified in case of any irregularity, dishonesty and corruption while, in past, there was no system to remove the corrupt representatives.

The Chief Executive took serious view of the influx of rural population into cities and said that basic amenities would be provided to rural areas to bring them at par with urban areas to check large-scale migration.

He said that rural population had added to the problems of urban people through this large-scale migration/shifting.

He said that metalled roads, electricity, schools, hospitals, rural health centres, would be provided in far-flung and backward areas.

He said that his was a government of the poor for the poor and it would introduce a system to raise their living standard and alleviate their miseries and poverty.

Earlier, MCCI Chief Majid Fakhri and chairman of Pakistan Kissan Council also spoke.

Kidnapping for ransom: Extraordinary security measures were taken in Multan on the arrival of Gen Pervez Musharraf. Army Jawans were deployed on roof-tops of buildings along the route. Selected zamindars, farmers, lawyers, businessmen and industrialists were invited to take part in the meeting.

During the proceedings a landlord, Gauhar Ali, stood up and complained against the police. He complained that some influential people had kidnapped him, his brother and nephew to extract a ransom of Rs 12.5 million. The criminals were caught red-handed, but the police let them go five months ago.