Kailash Kumar
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Pakistani exporters to move government against Qatar’s India-only rice tender
KHURSHID AHMED
October 27, 2019
In this file photo, a vendor arranges different types of rice, with their prices displayed, at his shop in a wholesale market in Karachi, Pakistan April 2, 2019.
KARACHI: Pakistani rice exporters said on Saturday they would send a letter to Qatar on Monday through the ministry of commerce and the Trade Development Authority to complain about an India-specific basmati rice import tender, which local traders have called a discriminatory move by the Qatari government.
Earlier this year, Qatar lifted a ban, imposed since 2011-12, on the import of rice from Pakistan, thus allowing Islamabad to export 4,000 metric tons or 100,000 bags of basmati rice to Doha. The decision came after a visit to the country by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. A tender was subsequently won by Pakistan’s Chappal traders, whose shipment is expected in Qatar by December 2019.
On Thursday, however, the Qatar government announced a new tender for import of 48,000 metric tons of basmati rice but allowed only Indian suppliers to participate.
“Definitely our association will send a letter to the Qatar government in which we will write to them that this variety [basmati rice] is available both in Pakistan and India; therefore origin specific tenders cannot be floated,” Muhammad Raza, senior vice chairman at the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) told Arab News on Saturday. “The letter will be sent through the ministry of commerce and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan to the Qatari government on Monday.”
“As the previous tender was Pakistan-specific, perhaps they have gone for an Indian-specific tender this time and allocated more quantity to India,” Raza added. “Qatar’s procurement agency will be requested that in future the tender for this variety should not be kept country-origin specific, allowing both countries [India and Pakistan] to supply as per their capacity.”
Neither Pakistan’s minister for commerce, nor a representative of the Trade Development Authority, could be reached for comment.
Pakistan’s exporters say the country will lose rice exports worth $57.6 million due to the exclusion of Pakistan from Qatar’s latest tender.
“Pakistan’s name should have been in the tender issued by the Qatar government for supply of 48,000 MT rice along with India,” Rafique Suleman, convener of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News.
Qatar’s annual rice import market is about 200,000 metric tons, in which Pakistan’s share gradually declined from 125,000 to 20,000-25000 tons in 2011-12. Since this time, only private sector rice firms from Qatar have continued imports from Pakistan.
The 2011-12 ban was imposed on Pakistan by the CTC, the government of Qatar’s procurement arm, for what it called the supply of substandard commodities. Since the lifting of the ban, Pakistan is expecting to export rice worth $40-50 million, but Qatar has appointed a third party to ensure quality.
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1574941/pakistan
KHURSHID AHMED
October 27, 2019
In this file photo, a vendor arranges different types of rice, with their prices displayed, at his shop in a wholesale market in Karachi, Pakistan April 2, 2019.
KARACHI: Pakistani rice exporters said on Saturday they would send a letter to Qatar on Monday through the ministry of commerce and the Trade Development Authority to complain about an India-specific basmati rice import tender, which local traders have called a discriminatory move by the Qatari government.
Earlier this year, Qatar lifted a ban, imposed since 2011-12, on the import of rice from Pakistan, thus allowing Islamabad to export 4,000 metric tons or 100,000 bags of basmati rice to Doha. The decision came after a visit to the country by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. A tender was subsequently won by Pakistan’s Chappal traders, whose shipment is expected in Qatar by December 2019.
On Thursday, however, the Qatar government announced a new tender for import of 48,000 metric tons of basmati rice but allowed only Indian suppliers to participate.
“Definitely our association will send a letter to the Qatar government in which we will write to them that this variety [basmati rice] is available both in Pakistan and India; therefore origin specific tenders cannot be floated,” Muhammad Raza, senior vice chairman at the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) told Arab News on Saturday. “The letter will be sent through the ministry of commerce and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan to the Qatari government on Monday.”
“As the previous tender was Pakistan-specific, perhaps they have gone for an Indian-specific tender this time and allocated more quantity to India,” Raza added. “Qatar’s procurement agency will be requested that in future the tender for this variety should not be kept country-origin specific, allowing both countries [India and Pakistan] to supply as per their capacity.”
Neither Pakistan’s minister for commerce, nor a representative of the Trade Development Authority, could be reached for comment.
Pakistan’s exporters say the country will lose rice exports worth $57.6 million due to the exclusion of Pakistan from Qatar’s latest tender.
“Pakistan’s name should have been in the tender issued by the Qatar government for supply of 48,000 MT rice along with India,” Rafique Suleman, convener of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, told Arab News.
Qatar’s annual rice import market is about 200,000 metric tons, in which Pakistan’s share gradually declined from 125,000 to 20,000-25000 tons in 2011-12. Since this time, only private sector rice firms from Qatar have continued imports from Pakistan.
The 2011-12 ban was imposed on Pakistan by the CTC, the government of Qatar’s procurement arm, for what it called the supply of substandard commodities. Since the lifting of the ban, Pakistan is expecting to export rice worth $40-50 million, but Qatar has appointed a third party to ensure quality.
https://www.arabnews.pk/node/1574941/pakistan
