PARC starts campaign to promote hybrid rice cultivation

ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) in collaboration with Chinese hybrid rice seeds research organisation has initiated a campaign to promote hybrid seed cultivation across the crop growing areas of the country. The main aim of this joint initiative was to enhance per acre crop productivity, increase profitability and produce surplus commodity for exports enhancement. In this regard, an official of the council told APP that both the countries have decided to work together for conducting joint awareness programmes to adopt hybrid rice seeds. The Chinese scientists are scheduled to train 30 Pakistani agriculture scientists, selected from all the four provinces. Besides, he said that they will also impart training to the members of the provincial field extension departments on hybrid rice cultivation. They would also organise road-shows and field visits across the rice-growing areas to address the issues and challenges in promotion of hybrid rice seed, he added.

He further informed that the revolutionary hybrid rice seed was recently developed by the Chinese researchers, which would help Pakistani farmers to enhance significantly their per acre yield.

 

Gold imports increase by 59pc in July

 

ISLAMABAD (APP): The imports of gold into the country increased by 59.11 percent during July 2017 compared to the corresponding month of last fiscal year.  Pakistan imported gold worth $2.096 million in July 2017 compared to the import of $1.267 million in July 2016, according to trade data of Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS). In terms of quantity, Pakistan imported 55 kilograms of gold in July 2017 against the imports of 35 kilograms, showing an increase of 57.14 percent. On month-on-month basis, the gold imports into the country increased by 177.98 percent in July when compared to the imports of $0.754 million recorded during June 2017, the data revealed. During June 2017, Pakistan imported just 19 kilograms of gold, showing a decline of 189 percent in imports of the commodity compared to the imports of July 2017. It is pertinent to mention here that overall merchandise imports into the country increased by 24.85 percent by going up from $7.839 during the first two months of last fiscal year to $9.787 billion during the current year.

 

 

Irsa releases 213,800 cusecs water

 

ISLAMABAD (APP): The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Friday released 213,800 cusecs water from various rim stations with inflow of 135,000 cusecs. According to the data released by Irsa, water level in the Indus River at Tarbela Dam was 1536.70 feet, which was 146.70 feet higher than its dead level 1380 feet. Water inflow in the dam was recorded as 84,600 cusecs while outflow 130,000 cusecs. The water level in the Jhelum River at Mangla Dam was 1222.20 feet, which was 172.20 feet higher than its dead level of 1040 feet whereas the inflow and outflow of water was recorded as 11,600 cusecs and 45,000 cusecs, respectively. The release of water at Kalabagh, Taunsa and Sukkur was recorded as 142,600, 135,000 and 37,700 cusecs, respectively. Similarly, from the Kabul River a total of 16,700 cusecs of water was released at Nowshera and 8,000 cusecs released from the Chenab River at Marala.

 

Federal Board of Revenue launches email drive to ensure tax filing

ISLAMABAD (APP): In addition to approaching about 50 big organisations for improving the number of tax filers, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has also approached its existing tax return filers by sending them emails to ensure that they file their income tax by September 30. "Become a filer and avail numerous advantages like reduction of WHT rates and placement of name in Active Taxpayer List (ATL)," said an FBR email message sent to its existing filers. The message urged the taxpayers to join hands with Federal Board of Revenue for prosperous Pakistan. "By fulfilling our legal obligations we can serve our country better. Let's join hands for prosperous Pakistan," the message added. The FBR has already started an extensive drive to boost the filing of Income Tax returns by reaching out to large public and private sector organisations and companies, facilitating their employees with taxable income to file their tax returns.

A team of FBR's Facilitation and Taxpayers Education (FATE) Wing led by Member FATE Nausheen Javaid Amjad has been visiting different organisations to sought their support in motivating their employees to file their returns.[