<p>“Such decisions hamper trade between the two countries and cause wastage of perishable goods.<br /><br />This is in the interest of neither the government nor traders and consumers,” said Iftikhar Ali Malik, vice-president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.<br /><br />“The issuance of such notifications in not a good practice and not in the interest of bilateral trade, which has been growing at a snail’s pace despite having enormous potential,” said Malik, a former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.<br /><br />He demanded that the customs authorities at the Wagah land border crossing clear contracted consignments of 300 truckloads of onion which are stuck at the frontier.<br />Pakistani authorities yesterday clamped down on onion exports via Wagah, with officials saying the move was necessary to stabilise surging prices in domestic markets.<br /><br />However, Malik said such developments on either side of the border would further bring down trade volumes.<br /><br />Some traders like Pakistan Agri Forum chairman Ibrahim Mughal backed the government’s decision.<br /><br />He said the prices of onions shot up in domestic markets because of the export of approximately 3,00,000 tonnes to India and other countries.<br /><br />“Middlemen turned into exporters to earn maximum profits at the cost of local consumers,” he said.<br /><br />Around 8,000 tonnes of onions had already been exported to India from Punjab alone, Mughal said.<br /><br />Onions must be sold to local consumers at Rs 30 a kg as growers, due to good production in the country, sold it at Rs 20 a kg, he said.<br /><br />Mughal urged the government to impose complete restrictions on onion exports to India till there were adequate stocks to meet domestic needs.<br /><br />He said approximately two million tonnes of onions are expected to be produced in the coming months and this would be enough to meet the country’s needs.<br /><br />Before the federal government imposed the ban on onions export to India, several traders had bagged major orders from India, where prices surged late last year due to poor production.<br /><br />Three hundred trucks loaded with thousands of tonnes of onion were not cleared by customs authorities at Wagah soon after the government’s announcement on Wednesday night.<br /><br />The trucks remained parked at the frontier as exporters and middlemen insisted on the clearance of their consignments by staging protests in Lahore.</p>
<p>“Such decisions hamper trade between the two countries and cause wastage of perishable goods.<br /><br />This is in the interest of neither the government nor traders and consumers,” said Iftikhar Ali Malik, vice-president of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.<br /><br />“The issuance of such notifications in not a good practice and not in the interest of bilateral trade, which has been growing at a snail’s pace despite having enormous potential,” said Malik, a former president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry.<br /><br />He demanded that the customs authorities at the Wagah land border crossing clear contracted consignments of 300 truckloads of onion which are stuck at the frontier.<br />Pakistani authorities yesterday clamped down on onion exports via Wagah, with officials saying the move was necessary to stabilise surging prices in domestic markets.<br /><br />However, Malik said such developments on either side of the border would further bring down trade volumes.<br /><br />Some traders like Pakistan Agri Forum chairman Ibrahim Mughal backed the government’s decision.<br /><br />He said the prices of onions shot up in domestic markets because of the export of approximately 3,00,000 tonnes to India and other countries.<br /><br />“Middlemen turned into exporters to earn maximum profits at the cost of local consumers,” he said.<br /><br />Around 8,000 tonnes of onions had already been exported to India from Punjab alone, Mughal said.<br /><br />Onions must be sold to local consumers at Rs 30 a kg as growers, due to good production in the country, sold it at Rs 20 a kg, he said.<br /><br />Mughal urged the government to impose complete restrictions on onion exports to India till there were adequate stocks to meet domestic needs.<br /><br />He said approximately two million tonnes of onions are expected to be produced in the coming months and this would be enough to meet the country’s needs.<br /><br />Before the federal government imposed the ban on onions export to India, several traders had bagged major orders from India, where prices surged late last year due to poor production.<br /><br />Three hundred trucks loaded with thousands of tonnes of onion were not cleared by customs authorities at Wagah soon after the government’s announcement on Wednesday night.<br /><br />The trucks remained parked at the frontier as exporters and middlemen insisted on the clearance of their consignments by staging protests in Lahore.</p>