In order to meet the urea demand ahead of the wheat cultivation season the government has imported 0.35 million tones urea from different countries to ensure uninterrupted supply of Urea to farmers. The urea would be provided on subsidised rates, Parliamentary Secretary for Industries Pir Haider Ali Shah said. He informed that local industry is not meeting the required demand of urea owing to shortage of gas supply therefore the government has imported 0.35 million tonnes urea. He said a urea bag is being sold at Rs1600 in the market after the imposition of sales tax, adding that earlier, the price of a urea bag was Rs850. He said the government is bearing Rs43 billion deficit for selling a urea bag at a subsidised rate of Rs1600.
It costs Rs3000 on import per urea bag, he told. Shah said the government is in contact with the local urea industry and the rate of urea bag would come down once the gas supply is stabilised. He said the government is endeavouring to ensure gas supply from Iran, besides taking measures to make the close gas plant functional.
