ISLAMABAD -  Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has taken all the necessary actions to allow duty and taxes free import of potatoes to reduce its price in the country.
“The finance minister was briefed by the Ministry of National Food Security that the hoarders, speculators and the middlemen are involved in artificially manipulating the prices of potato in the country.
 It was further informed that if the federal government did not allow the duty free import of potatoes then the prices of potato would be skyrocketed during the month of Ramadan”, says a statement issued by Finance Ministry. The Finance Ministry issued the statement in response to a story published by The Nation earlier on Tuesday regarding potatoes prices. “As Chairman ECC and as Federal Finance Minister, Senator Ishaq Dar took all the necessary actions within his domain allowing duty and taxes free import of potatoes.
He also sensitized provincial governments to take necessary steps including forcing hoarders to release stocks and setting up of Sasta Bazars to bring down the prices of essential commodities in general and particularly potato during the holy month of Ramadan,” the finance ministry statement stated. “Needless to mention that the price control is the responsibility of the provincial governments, the federal government can only sensitize provinces over such issues.
It is further emphasized that it is due to import of potatoes at zero regulatory duty and exemption from income and sales tax, the prices remained stable.  If government had not taken these steps, the price in Ramazan would have been double of current level,” the statement concluded.