Senate panel defers legislation on salt exports
The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce has decided to postpone a proposed legislation that would prohibit the export of unprocessed salt in a move to bolster domestic value addition. The committee headed by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada has directed that all relevant parties provide constructive recommendations to promote value-added exports. A private bill was moved proposing a ban on the export of raw salt which was deferred for the time being. The country’s exports of raw salt are between $30 to $50 million per annum. Deputy Chairman Mirza Muhammad Afridi said that Pakistan possesses the world’s largest and most pure rock salt reserves. He mentioned that this commodity has an estimated annual market of billions of dollars, which is further growing on an annual basis.