Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) President Dr Tariq Bucha has said the proposed federal budget is very disappointing for the agricultural sector. There is no allocation mentioned for agricultural development except generally touching upon things related to the sector such as allocating funds for farm to market roads under infrastructure development budget, Bucha said this while talking to Business Recorder on Thursday.
He said that the government had provided special incentives for small scale industry by giving loans on easy terms and 8 percent mark up, whereas agriculture which contributes 22 percent in the GDP had not been given any such incentive or agricultural loans. Bucha said that the government had announced to give incentives in order to buck up industrial development in the country and announced incentives, establishing or reviving export processing zones and establishing special economic zones to attract foreign investment in the industrial sector but no mention of setting up such special zones to fetch investment in the agricultural sector. He was also disappointed to note that there was no mention by the federal finance minister of extending facilities and incentives for establishment of any agro-based industry in the country.
