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Iraq to buy sugar, fertilizer
plants
ISLAMABAD- Iraq has agreed to purchase sugar and fertilizer
plants from Pakistan and set up its own flour mills in Karachi
for import of finished products instead of wheat.
This was the outcome of talks between Commerce Minister Abdul
Razak Dawood and 7-member delegation of Iraq led by Deputy
Minister for Agriculture Dr Basil Dalali here on Wednesday,
official sources told Dawn.
"Pakistan has welcomed Iraq's decision to set up its flour
mills near proposed grain silos in Karachi", said a commerce
ministry official. A joint delegation of Heavy Mechanical
Complex (HMC) and Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PMTF) would
be dispatched to Baghdad on the request of the visiting
delegation to discuss technical details for export of sugar
and fertilizer plants there, the official said.
The delegation also expressed keen interest in importing
medicines, rice, wheat, chemical engineering machinery,
information technology products and electronics. During the
current fiscal year, Iraq had agreed to import 100,000 tons of
wheat from Pakistan but rejected consignments of 65,000 tons
due to dispute over quality.
So practically, Pakistan could export only 35,000 tons while
the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) had to dispose it
off on very reduced rates. The deficit consignments of 65,000
tons are now being exported by TCP through a private exporter
Karim International.
In all Pakistan could export wheat worth $4 million. A
consignment of 14,500 tons has been sent to Baghdad during
last week of March while two consignments of 30,000 tons and
11,000 tons would be dispatched on April 5 and 12
respectively, the meeting was informed.
Last year, Pakistan exported $8.2 million worth of rice to
Iraq against $4.5 million during seven months of the current
fiscal year. The question of rice did not come up for
discussion during the meeting.
Pakistan's total export to Iraq amounted to $16.3 million last
year against imports of $0.186 million. During seven months
(July-January) this year, total exports amounted to $11.2
million against imports of $0.142 million.
Although, Iraq is purchasing food items under "oil-for-food"
programme quota allowed by the United Nations, Pakistan could
import petroleum products worth $0.009 million during the last
year.
courtesy Daily Dawn, 4
April, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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