40 trucks of Iranian onions, tomatoes reach Taftan

ISLAMABAD: At least 40 trucks of onions and tomatoes reached Balochistan’s Taftan from Iran on Thursday.
The country witnessed a significant increase in the price of the A for ementioned vegetables due to the recent monsoon rains and floods that destroyed crop yields through the entire country.
While the means of communication were also badly affected, there were severe difficulties in the delivery of vegetables and other essential items.
Due to the increased prices of onions and tomatoes, the government has decided to abolish duty on these vegetables for 90 days.
According to government officials, onions and tomatoes will arrive in the country on a daily basis for now. Currently, the cost of onions and tomatoes is around Rs300 per kilo.
Earlier, the government had withdrawn sales tax on the import of onions and tomatoes to help reduce prices of these two vegetables after floods destroyed crops on thousands of acres.
The Federal Board of Revenue on Thursday issued a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) to withdraw sales tax on the import of onions (PCT heading 0703.1000) and tomatoes (PCT heading 0702.0000). PCT stands for Pakistan Customs Tariff codes.
The exemption has been granted until December 31, 2022.
Onions and tomatoes are vital ingredients for most of the dishes in Pakistani cuisine. Their prices soared after the floods and tomatoes now cost as much as Rs500 per kilogram in major urban centers – around sixfold higher than the prices before the floods.
All Pakistan Fruit & Vegetable Exporters, Importers & Merchants Association (PFVA) had recently urged the government to remove taxes and duties on the two vegetables. NNI