Unisame demands clarification on poppy seeds export

KARACHI; The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has invited the attention of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to the discrepancy in the Web One Customs (Weboc) system, a statement said on Wednesday.

Unisame president Zulfikar Thaver said that Weboc states that the export of poppy seeds is not allowed contrary to the export policy order which allows the exports of the seeds.

The export policy order states that under the code number 1207.9100 “poppy seeds”, “export of imported poppy seeds shall be allowed if imported from the countries where opium poppy is grown licitly in accordance with the provisions of single convention.”

It is to be noted that this is only for opium and not for white food grade poppy seeds, for which no conditions are imposed, Thaver noted.

Zeeshan Nazim, an exporter of herbs and roots said that the matter is misinterpreted because opium is distinctively different from white poppy seeds food grade called Khashkhash, which is a food and food ingredient according to PSQCA PS 550.

Hussain Ratnani a Small Medium Enterprises (SME) logistics facilitator noted that even when export of opium is allowed provided it is grown licitly in the country from which it is imported, why the exports are not allowed for white food grade poppy seeds.

The Unisame Council urged the FBR secretary of transit and border trade Falik Sher to clarify since the discrepancy is pointed out and the Small Medium Enterprises Development Authority and Unisame both have proposed and recommended the export of Khashkhash for the uplift and benefit of SME farmers, processors and exporters in Pakistan.

The Council requested the FBR to issue an SRO, giving separate distinguishing status to white food grade poppy seeds to avoid any misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the code.