Peshawar: Chairman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly’s Special Committee on Agriculture, Abdul Karim Tordher has directed Pakistan Tobacco Board (PTB) to ensure that all tobacco purchasing companies are required to purchase tobacco from growers at the rates fixed by the government.
He also directed the development of an effective mechanism to ensure the purchase of growers’ entire production at fair prices. He issued these directives while chairing a meeting special committee held here at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat under his chairmanship on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Labour Faisal Khan Tarakai, members of the Special Committee and MPAs Ehtesham Ali, Munir Hussain Laghmani, Abdul Muneem, and Arbab Muhammad Usman Khan, who participated via Zoom.
Officials from the Finance Department, Law Department, Excise and Taxation Department, Pakistan Tobacco Board, former members of the Pakistan Tobacco Board, and relevant officers of the Provincial Assembly Secretariat also attended.
In light of decisions taken in the previous meeting, the committee discussed the formation of a legal committee under the supervision of the Excise and Taxation Department to conduct a legal review of the issues faced by tobacco growers and formulate practical recommendations.
The Additional Secretary Excise informed the committee that a summary for the formation of the legal committee had been sent to the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The committee would be formally notified after approval, following which it would prepare its recommendations.
Expressing displeasure over the delay, Committee Chairman Abdul Karim Tor Dher directed that the process of forming the legal committee be completed immediately. He said that delays in timely decisions could adversely affect tobacco growers’ year-long efforts, production costs, and income.
Speaking via Zoom, MPA Arbab Muhammad Usman Khan said that the fundamental issues faced by tobacco growers concerned pricing and procurement. He said that some companies classify production exceeding their allocated quantities as ‘surplus’ and purchase such tobacco from growers at lower rates, causing farmers financial losses instead of profits.
MPA Ehtesham Ali also highlighted the issue, stating that major tobacco companies purchase the allocated quantity and classify the remaining production as surplus, leaving growers in serious financial difficulty.
Minister for Labour Faisal Khan Tarakai said that a large portion of the population of Swabi district is directly or indirectly associated with tobacco cultivation. Therefore, he stressed that effective legislation and a comprehensive policy were essential to safeguarding the economic future of growers.
MPA Munir Hussain Laghmani said that following the 18th Constitutional Amendment, certain powers relating to taxes and excise duties fall within the provincial government’s jurisdiction. He emphasized that all relevant institutions should take coordinated and effective measures to protect the interests of tobacco growers in the province.
The Secretary of the Pakistan Tobacco Board also presented data before the committee regarding tobacco purchased by various companies during the previous year. He stated that companies had been required to purchase tobacco from growers at the prices fixed by the government.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Special Committee Chairman Abdul Karim Tor Dher directed officials of the Excise and Taxation Department to complete the process of forming the legal committee as soon as possible and to present its final recommendations before the Special Committee at its next meeting.
He said that, based on the final recommendations, the Special Committee would prepare its report and present it to the Provincial Assembly so that the necessary legal and administrative measures could be taken for the permanent and effective resolution of tobacco growers’ problems.
The meeting also emphasized that all relevant institutions must fulfill their responsibilities through coordination and effective monitoring to ensure fair prices, complete procurement of growers’ production, and sustainable economic protection for farmers.
It may be noted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa accounts for approximately 90 percent of the country’s total tobacco production, while Swabi, Mardan, Charsadda, Swat, Buner, and Mansehra are major tobacco-producing areas.
