Wheat flour from Pakistan is likely to enter Indian market without any import duty on it, a top official in Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said.
Karachi, Aug 9 : Wheat flour from Pakistan is likely to enter Indian market without any import duty on it, a top official in Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock said.
India may waive off 30 per cent import duty on Pakistani wheat flour, the official said.
"There is no immediate plan to impose ban flour exports, as it is also the Government's duty to provide a conducive environment for the country's 1,100 flour mills, so that they could flourish and run their mills, " The News quoted the official, as saying.
The Indian Government may abolish import duty on Pakistani flour, as they want to provide flour to its consumers at cheap rates.
"The wheat flour prices in the country are comparatively lower than other regional countries including India and Bangladesh, as the commodity is being sold at Rs.22 per kilogram in India, while it is being retailed at Rs.14 to Rs.16 in Pakistan," he said.
The Food Departments of Punjab and Sindh besides of Pakistan Storage and Supply Corporation (PASSCO) are holding around 4.795 million tonnes of wheat stocks.
The price of wheat and wheat flour are continuously soaring in domestic market even after the country achieved highest ever production of wheat crop during last Rabi season.
In view of unjustified increase in wheat and wheat flour prices the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) had imposed complete ban on exports of wheat for an indefinite period in June 2007.
However, the export of the flour and other by-products was allowed.
ANI