Chairman Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Raza Mehmood Khursand has said that the levying of value-added tax (VAT) on the poultry sector would increase the cost of poultry products, reports Daily Times of Pakistan.

He said increase in the cost would be at least 20 per cent after the imposition of VAT. He said poultry farmers were at a loss as far as VAT is concerned because the selling prices were not governed by the cost of production, adding that retail prices are controlled by the demand and supply of the products.

He said NOC fee was already exempted by the government and demanded the licence fee and other charges to be reduced. He demanded that development charges be fixed at 500 rupees (PKR) per acre. He further requested that building plan fees and 'malba fee' on poultry farms should also be exempted.

Mr Khursand also requested the government to exempt the poultry farms from property tax, as poultry farming was a part of agriculture sector. He urged the government to review all the taxes imposed on the poultry farmers.

Other poultry farmers and members of PPA including Abdul Basit, Abdul Haiy, Rai Mansab Ali Kharl, and Dr Mustafa Kamal were also present.