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Sindh govt refuses to refund MC fee to molasses exporters

MUZAFFAR QURESHI

KARACHI: The Sindh Agriculture Department has refused to refund millions of rupees charged as market committees fee from molasses exporters under the pretext that the octroi tax was collected by the contractors. It has advised the molasses exporters to approach the competent court of law and file suit to recover their money and the market committees will provide every assistance.

The refusal was conveyed to the Export Promotion Bureau by the Agriculture department despite the fact that Dr Badruddin Soomro, former Secretary, Agriculture Department had agreed in October last to refund the amount.

Molasses exporters had approached the EPB requesting it to pursue the matter with the concerned authorities in the light of the decision taken between the then EPB vice chairman and the agriculture secretary.

They said that the stand taken by Sindh Agriculture Department was totally negative and against the understanding reached between the former agriculture secretary and former vice chairman of EPB. They maintained that a meeting chaired by the additional secretary of Sindh Agriculture Department was held with the officials of the Market Committees of Sindh, and molasses exporters were called at the initiative of Dr. Soomro to confirm claims submitted by the exporters to various market committees of Sindh and not to decide its legality. It was already decided to pay refunds from the market committees funds by the former Secretary of the department.

The market committees in various districts of Sindh were last year charging market committee fee on truckloads of molasses being shifted from sugar mills to Karachi Port for export.

The exporters money amounting to millions of rupees is lying with the Sindh government which has now refused to pay under the pretext that the job of collection was given to the contractors and hence the exporters should file a suit for recovering their money from the contractors.