ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Commerce has recommended a complete ban on import of used cooking oil due to its harmful and detrimental effects on human health.
The committee made this recommendation on stunning disclosures that used cooking oil was being imported in the name of factories and being used in the preparation of cooking oil and this practice was casting hazardous impacts on human health.
The Senate Commerce Committee met here with Chairman Shibli Faraz in the chair to proposed legislation, pertaining to anti-dumping duties, State Life Insurance Corporation (SLIC) and purchase of long grain white rice by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and others.
Committee member Senator Ilyas Bilour stunned the committee by revealing that a number of importers of cooking oil were misusing facilities provided to them by the government in terms of relaxation in duties and taxes.
“A big number of importers are importing used cooking oil instead of fresh cooking oil on cheaper prices in the country and more to add, they are mixing the imported used cooking oil with the fresh one and thus playing with the health of consumers” he observed.
On the issue of procurement of long grain white rice, committee members raised the question of transparency in the procurement procedures. Secretary Commerce told the committee that in the first week of current month, Prime Minister allowed the purchase of rice worth Rs 470 million for gifting it to China.
However, Senator Salim Mandviwala observed that there was something fishy in the procurement process followed for purchase of rice and that was why the Transparency International wrote a letter to prime minister in this regard.
On the issue of proposed legislation about reorganization of SLIC, committee members objected on a clause related to privatization of the corporation, however, Secretary Commerce soothed the members by saying that there was no immediate privatization plan for SLIC.
Therefore the committee expressed reservations on the proposed bill and decided to make any decision after holding thorough discussions with all the stakeholders. The committee also recommended exclusion of clause related to privatization from the said bill.
