Govt mulling over removing GIDC to bring down fertilizer prices: Asad Umar.

ISLAMABAD -- Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiative Asad Umar has said the government was considering to remove the Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) for the future to bring down the fertilizer prices.

Speaking in a meeting held here on Monday, Asad Umar said that direct subsidy to the farmers would be more cost-effective for the government and more beneficial to the farmers.

In the meeting with representatives of the fertilizer industry, the minister discussed matters related to the fertilizer supplies and pricing. He was accompanied by Minster for National Food Security and Research Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Adviser for Commerce, Textile, Industry and Production and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood and Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Petroleum Nadeem Babar.

The meeting considered various ways and means to ensure sufficient supplies of the commodities while making the prices of the fertilizer affordable for the...