The Sindh Cabinet on Tuesday decided to release wheat from its stocks from October 16. The session with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in chair approved the wheat release policy of the provincial government. The release of wheat from government stocks would help Rs 9.13 per kilogram reduction in ex-mill wheat price in Sindh. The ex-mill price of wheat flour will drop to Rs 47.87 per kilogram from existing 57 rupees per KG. Provincial cabinet has fixed 3687.50 rupees per bag price of the wheat and also issued directives to this effect to district administration across the province. In previous week, Sindh Food Minister Hari Ram Kishori Lal said that Sindh will likely to release wheat from its stocks between October 15 to 20. He said that the food department has sought permission from the chief minister in writing for release of wheat to flour mills.Food Minister said that the province had last year released wheat stocks to flour mills on October 27. Food Minister had earlier said that the department has sufficient reserves of wheat and the flour companies and mill present on the government roster would get the stocks on discounted rates. Sindh and federal governments have recently trade barbs over release of wheat from official stocks. Minister for National Food Security Syed Fakhr Imam in a statement said that the Sindh government was repeatedly asked to release wheat from its official stock with a view to stabilising wheat flour price in the market but its continuous refusal was creating problems.During trhe Cabinet meeting, Minister Energy Imtiaz Shaikh said that the Excise & Taxation Department had granted exemption from Infrastructure Cess on imports of coal mining and coal-based electricity generation companies in Thar Coal Filed. He added that it was time bound and expired on June 30,2020. It was also pointed out that the Economic Coordination Committee had also announced an Incentive package to accelerate development in Thar.The ECC incentives include zero percent custom duty, exemption from special excise duty, Federal excise duty, workers welfare and participation funds, withholding tax on procurement of goods and services and other levies for 30 years. The cabinet was informed that SECM was producing 3.8 mtpa coal in phase-I and catering power generation of 660 MW. Financial close for its phase-II has been achieved to double the production, 7.8mtpa. It would cater further power generation of two 330 MW power plants. A Chinese company SSRL has obtained financial close for development of a 7.8 mtpa mine at Block-1 of Thar Coalfield. This would cater to power generation of 1320 MW. Similarly, other local companies would generate 660 MW electricity. Keeping in view the development potential in Thar Coalfield, the cabinet approved exemption of Infrastructure Development Cess (IDC) on imports for a period of 30 years as per ECC 30-year incentive package. The provincial cabinet also approved enhancement of Sindh Sales Tax on Services of transportation or carriage of petroleum oils through oil tankers from 13 percent to 15 percent to maintain uniformity with other provinces.
