The News of Pakistan reports that in a meeting with Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan, secretary of the Punjab Livestock and Dairy Development, poultry farmers sought abolition of 10 per cent withholding tax on electricity used by poultry farms.

They explained that the tax was being passed on to consumers as there was no refund mechanism. They added that the withholding tax should be abolished as the poultry industry was exempted from GST.

They said laws need to be enforced for registration of new poultry farms. The NOC for constructing new poultry farms must be procured through the Punjab livestock and dairy development secretary in accordance with the following guidelines:

• There must be a distance of at least one to three kilometres between poultry farms.
• Proposed farms must have a boundary wall, a gate, biosecurity room and a pit for mortalities on the farm premises.

Draft rules were submitted to livestock secretary on 2 August 2007.

The farmers said that only licence fee and other fee/charges be charged from poultry farmers. They said annual licence fee for poultry farms should be fixed at 250 rupees (PKR) per farm. For feed mills and hatchery, it should be PKR 2,000 per year, they added. They sought development charges be fixed at PKR 500 per acre. They also demanded exemption from building plan fee and malba fee.

It was requested that special rebate be allowed for advertisement on TV and print media for public awareness so that people could be aware of the fact that poultry meat and eggs are the cheapest sources of protein in the country.

The Secretary promised to resolve problems of the poultry sector and issues related to the federal government through Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry, Islamabad.