PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has assured the tobacco growers from across the province that their issues would be raised at the proper forums as tobacco is the only crop contributing heavy revenue for the national and provincial exchequers.
Talking to a seven-member delegation of the Tobacco Growers Association at the Governor’s House, the governor said that the issues being confronted by the tobacco growers would be taken up with the Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB), Federal Revenue Authority (FBR), tobacco multinational and national companies and other departments collecting taxes and cess.
He termed the tobacco industry highly significant for the province’s economy and business activities, saying that the taxes and profits generated from the sector should be spent on the welfare of growers and development of KP.
The governor said that the authorities concerned would be asked to take effective measures for safeguarding farmers’ interests, promoting transparency and introducing modern agricultural practices so that local growers could benefit while strengthening the national economy.
Earlier, the delegation led by Tobacco Growers Association senior vice chairman Syed Daud Jan discussed various issues related to tobacco growers in KP.
The governor was informed that due to harassment of small tobacco dealers by FBR officials, export activities had almost come to a standstill while the PTB being a regulatory body for the sale and purchase of tobacco produce had failed to achieve the targets.
