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TCP confident of
resolving wheat issue with Iraq
KARACHI: The state-run commodity
trader, Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) is making
arrangements for the re-shipment of the wheat consignment to
Iraq, which Bagdad had earlier refused to accept on grounds of
contamination.
The TCP is
confident of resolving the wheat issue with Iraq. The
officials of the TCP are now preparing to export the rejected
wheat to Iraq after thoroughly scrutinising it with the help
of the PASSCO staff, before its re-shipment.
The TCP signed an agreement with Iraq last year for the export
of 100,000 tonnes, hard-red winter wheat against the 'Oil for
Food' programme of the UNO at the rate of 214 Euro per tonne
or $196 per tonne CIF Ume Qasar. Through three vessels, the
corporation had transported 98,000 tonnes of indigenous wheat
to Iraq.
However, though the Iraqi authorities cleared the first
consignment of wheat, they rejected the other two shiploads on
the complaint of excessive foreign particles in the
consignment. The first consignment of the remaining quantity
is expected to be re-shipped in the first week of April.
Nonetheless, the TCP higher-ups are still confused on the
clause of 'foreign content' in the agreement.
According to the agreement, the Iraqis had permitted foreign
content in the wheat to the extent of one per cent. However,
there was no specification about the foreign particles as
such. At the time of rejection of the shipment, the Iraqis
were of the view that 'foreign particles' meant organic
particles and that; sand and stone were not included in it.
While the TCP's stance was; that the foreign particle is a
comprehensive term and that all particles excluding the wheat
grain was covered by the term. According to reports, the TCP
has another order for the export of 35,000 tonnes of red
winter wheat to Iraq. But, they have decided to first wait and
see the results of the reshipped consignment before embarking
on the execution of the new order, the sources said.
Courtesy The News March
24, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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