DNA

Chairman PRCS Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari says Red Crescent is engaged in multifaceted response in the flood-affected areas; expressed his gratitude to IFRC and RCRC Movement partners for their support in alleviating the sufferings of the vulnerable people.

IFRC will extend its relief operations in flood-affected areas: Xavier Castellanos

ISLAMABAD: “Pakistan Red Crescent Society is engaged in multifaceted response in the flood affected areas of the country in collaboration with International Federation of Red Cross Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Red Cross Red Crescent Movement partners, the National Society is providing clean drinking water, food items, tents, hygiene kits and medical facilities to the affected population in an efficient manner and we are thankful to the support of our Red Cross Movement partners in alleviating the sufferings of the vulnerable people”, PRCS Chairman Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari expressed these views in a meeting with IFRC Under Secretary General Xavier Castellanos at the Pakistan Red Crescent Society, National Headquarters here on Tuesday.

Xavier who is on a visit to Pakistan, was told in a detailed briefing about the ongoing actions and services of the Red Crescent in the flood-affected areas.

IFRC under Secretary General while appreciating the services of the PRCS said that the Red Crescent has always performed valuable services during natural and man-made disasters. He said that due to the recent floods, the health of women and children are at risk, and IFRC will continue its support for the provision of treatment and better facilities.” The success of the National Society is the success of IFRC, and we will continue our full cooperation with PRCS in mitigating the sufferings of vulnerable communities in Pakistan”, he added.

Xavier said the leadership of the Red Crescent is admirable, as it has done excellent work in the flood-affected areas in a short period. He said IFRC intends to help the affected families according to their needs.

In the end, Chairman PRCS Sardar Shahid Ahmed Laghari presented a memento to  Xavier Castellanos. Head of Delegation of IFRC in Pakistan Peter Ophoff, Secretary General PRCS and officers were also present on this occasion.

Over 50 billion rupees have been disbursed among 2,005,039 flood affected families

ISLAMABAD, SEP 27 /DNA/ – Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is continuing its commitment to provide relief to the flood-stricken families by ensuring speedy disbursement of Rs.25,000 among affected families of Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab  and Gilgit Baltistan under Flood Relief Cash Assistance. So far a total of Rs. 50,125,975,000 has been disbursed among 2,005,039 flood affected families under Flood Relief Cash Assistance across the country.

In Balochistan 156,697 flood affected families have received Rs. 3,917,425,000. 1,415,761 affected families of Sindh have received Rs.35,394,025,000. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 208,321 families have received Rs. 5,208,025,000 whereas 224,260 families of Punjab have received Rs.5,606,500,000. In Gilgit Baltistan 331 flood affected families have also received Rs. 8,275,000.

Today a total of 122,073 flood affected families have received financial assistance from different campsites established in flood hit areas. A control room has been established at Benazir Income Support Pogramme headquarters to ensure smooth payments.

DNA

Lahore: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) has observed that the import restrictions under Customs tariff chapter 84, 85 continued to haunt the trade and industry, leading to severe shortage of industry raw material in the country, as the authorities have not been fulfilling their commitments in spite of several reminders and meetings.

In a hurriedly called meeting held on the issue of import restrictions here at PIAF Office, PIAF Chairman Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol warned that if import of industrial raw material, parts and machinery is halted, the industry would stop running gradually, leading to inordinate delay in export orders and damaging the reputation of Pakistan, as some of the sectors have already slashed their productions because they are in a difficult situation in the face of growing currency crisis.

It is to be noted that the State Bank Foreign Exchange Department (FEOD) had made customs tariff chapter 84, 85 import payments conditional on its approval. The commercial banks, after this State Bank’s condition, are not making dollars available to the importers. After the circular issued by the FEOD on July 5 2022 the import of every kind of plant and machinery, capital goods and raw material has stopped. As a result hundreds of consignments are stuck at different ports and almost same number of consignments is on their way.

Moreover, hundreds of consignments remained stuck at the port after government had slapped a ban on the import of luxury items. The importers have to pay now heavy demurrage to the shipping companies, as the government did not fulfill its commitment of waiving off demurrage and detention charges.

PIAF Chairman observed that the business community was expecting that the imports restrictions will be relaxed as soon as the country receives first installment of the IMF loan but it is unfortunate that the situation has not changed so for mainly due to mismanagement of the authorities.

Faheem Siagol said that the industry needs a supply chain to run the whole economy, adding big industries require raw material all the time. The State Bank’s decision severely affected the, pharmaceutical, auto, plastic, mobile phone, engineering and textile industries negatively. The most concerned are those industries whose consignments have reached at the port and are being asked by the suppliers to pay the bill but the State Bank is still creating hurdles. Though importers have the money but are unable to send the amount to them. Those who import goods under Cash Against Document (CAD) are of the view their clients are getting angry with them as they are not able to make payment timely.