Latest news with #RD
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Sindh farmers ask FBR to reduce duty on tractors
ISLAMABAD: Small farmers from Sindh have approached Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to reduce custom duty on imported tractors from 15 percent to 5 percent under massive tariff rationalisation plan to be implemented in budget (2025-26) to support agriculture sector. Farmers have also proposed FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood to reduce the existing sales tax rate on locally manufactured and imported tractors from 14 percent to 5 percent, enabling the farmers to purchase tractors. This is not an exemption, but only a reduced rate already applicable of many items including vehicles under Sales Tax Act. The budget proposals of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) Hyderabad to FBR Chairman included rationalisation of tax structure and abolishment of levy of sales tax on tractors to support agriculture sector. Sales tax on tractors, pesticides likely When contacted, sources in the FBR revealed that the proposals are under consideration of the FBR during ongoing budget preparation exercise to facilitate poor farmers of the country. The chamber stated that the approved tariff plan to be implemented in budget (2025-26) covers elimination of Additional Customs Duty (ACD); phasing out of Regulatory Duty (RD); gradual elimination of the Fifth Schedule of the Customs Act and restructuring of the customs tariff. This must cover most essential item i.e. tractor which is not a luxury item like vehicle. Nabi Bux Sathio, Senior Vice President, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Hyderabad stated: 'We, as representatives of the farming and agricultural community in Sindh, feel compelled to shed light on the significant challenges and hardships faced by our fellow farmers and agriculturists in recent times'. The chamber stated that the agricultural sector plays a pivotal role in Pakistan's economy, contributing 24% to the GDP and employing 37.4% of the workforce. However, the sector is currently grappling with a myriad of complex issues. These include the lack of investment and support, the adverse effects of climate change, and the dwindling availability of water, exacerbating the challenges faced by farmers and agriculturists. Moreover, farmers have been severely impacted by the inability to secure fair prices for their produce. The government's announcement of support prices for wheat and cotton has not translated into actual purchases at the stipulated rates, leaving farmers with no choice but to sell their crops at significantly lower prices. The situation is further compounded by the low prices offered for rice and the potential delay in the sugar cane crushing season, which has added to the woes of the farming community. He urged the FBR to reduce the existing sales tax rate on locally manufactured and imported tractors from 14% to 5% enabling the farmers to purchase tractors, and also reduce the custom duty on imported tractors from 15% to 5% and also for re-conditional tractors. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Coffee sector for duty cuts
Listen to article Stakeholders in Pakistan's growing coffee sector are urging the government to eliminate the 28% combined Regulatory Duty (RD) and Additional Customs Duty (ACD) on bulk instant coffee imports, arguing the current levy is stifling industry growth and preventing the development of a domestic coffee market. The duties were imposed in June 2021 under SRO 840(I)/2021 and currently include a 15% RD and 2% ACD, with other charges making up the rest. Industry sources point to the disparity between coffee and tea imports, which face only a 13% duty. They also note that the tariff on raw instant coffee is disproportionately high compared to finished coffee products, which attract duties between 42% and 53%. According to industry representatives, this duty regime contradicts Pakistan's National Tariff Policy, which emphasises policy predictability, value addition, and industrial efficiency. They argue that eliminating the duties would significantly lower the landed cost of bulk instant coffee, making local manufacturing more feasible and encouraging investment in domestic processing, blending, and packaging facilities. With rising demand for coffee — driven by remote work trends and a flourishing café culture — stakeholders believe that lower raw material costs would also help bring down consumer prices and make coffee more accessible across homes and offices nationwide. They add that reducing duties would streamline the coffee supply chain, cut administrative costs, and offer consumers a wider variety of products at more competitive prices. Industry players see strong potential in exports, saying local producers could create value-added instant coffee and ready-to-drink beverages for international markets.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The #1 Food You Should Limit to Help Lower Triglycerides, According to Dietitians
Reviewed by Dietitian Karen Ansel, M.S., RDNSugary drinks are the top source of added sugars in the American diet. Their sugar can increase triglycerides, which are blood fats that raise heart disease risk. They may also increase blood sugar and belly fat and crowd out more nutritious it comes to heart health, most people focus on cholesterol. But triglycerides are just as important. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood that our bodies use for energy. High triglycerides can raise your risk of heart disease by leading to a buildup of small, cholesterol-rich particles in the artery walls. This can trigger inflammation and contribute to artery-blocking plaque formation. Cutting back on fat might seem like the obvious first choice. However, one of the top contributors to high triglycerides is actually sugar-sweetened drinks, like soda, sweet tea, syrup-spiked coffees and sports drinks. The link is so strong that research has found that people who drink just 12 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages per day are 48% more likely to have elevated triglycerides. That's a lot! So, we spoke to registered dietitians to find out how cutting back on sugar-sweetened drinks can help lower high triglycerides. Here's what they told us, plus realistic strategies to improve your triglycerides for a healthier heart. Research has found that high sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is strongly linked to insulin resistance. That may sound like it's just a blood sugar issue, but insulin resistance may also influence triglyceride levels. How so? While sugary drinks are loaded with sugar, they rarely contain fat, protein or fiber to help slow glucose digestion and absorption. As a result, glucose is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance, which alters lipid metabolism, leading to high triglycerides, low HDL-cholesterol and increased small, dense LDL-cholesterol particles. All of these can set the stage for heart disease. Even though triglycerides are a type of fat, they're formed primarily from eating excess carbohydrates and sugars. Consider what happens after drinking a 12-ounce can of cola. Its 37 grams of pure sugar are far more than your body can handle in one sitting, especially when combined with other carbohydrates and sugars from a meal or snack. What does the body do with all that sugar? 'Excess sugar is stored in the body as glycogen. Once these stores are full, our liver converts excess sugar into fatty acids, and combined with other molecules, they form triglycerides,' explains Melissa Jaeger, RD, LD. Many sweetened beverages are made with high fructose corn syrup, which may be even more harmful to your blood fat and glucose levels than table sugar. In one study, adults who drank three fructose-rich beverages daily for 10 weeks had higher levels of triglyceride-transporting particles in their bloodstreams than volunteers who consumed the same amount of glucose-rich drinks. What, exactly, makes fructose so problematic? When we consume excessive amounts of fructose, like from HFCS-sweetened drinks, the liver turns all that fructose into fat through a process called de novo lipogenesis. This happens when there is more sugar available than the liver can store as carbohydrate, and it occurs more rapidly with fructose than with glucose consumption. Deep belly fat, known as visceral fat, can spell all kinds of trouble for your health. Visceral fat releases fat into the bloodstream quickly, whereas fat stored under the skin (like in the hips or thighs) is stored and released much more slowly. This makes abdominal fat especially harmful, increasing the risk for numerous metabolic health conditions, including elevated triglycerides. Research has found that greater added sugar intake may be a powerful driver of visceral fat storage. For instance, one study found people who consumed lots of added sugars from sugar-sweetened beverages and other sources were 27% more likely to have abdominal obesity and were also 28% more prone to obesity. Sugar-sweetened beverages are our top source of added sugars, delivering an estimated 21% of our total sugar intake. One important reason: 'It's easy to over-consume calories from sugary drinks,' says Mandy Tyler, RD, CSSD. 'Although they may taste refreshing, they don't tend to fill you up.' Consider how you feel after eating a piece of cake versus drinking a glass of sweet tea. It's much quicker—and easier—to drink that sugar in liquid form. 'While our bodies may use some of the sugar in drinks for an immediate source of energy, these drinks also deliver extra calories with little to no nutritional value,' says Jaeger. Sugary drinks like soda, sweet tea, energy drinks, sugary lattes and even some fruit-flavored beverages often replace healthier options like water, milk or nutrient-rich smoothies. Limit or avoid alcohol: 'When you drink alcohol, your liver puts fat-burning on hold to process the alcohol first,' explains Katie Schimmelpfenning, RD, LD. 'That slowdown can cause more fat, especially triglycerides, to build up in your blood.' Get regular physical activity: Physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, helps to lower triglycerides by improving glucose and fat metabolism. Not sure where to start? 'Consider going for a walk during lunch, taking the stairs, parking farther away at the grocery store or enjoying a family walk after dinner,' suggests Taylor McClelland Newman, M.S., RD, LD. Eat more fiber-rich foods: 'Fiber helps lower triglycerides by slowing digestion and reducing fat and sugar absorption,' says Schimmelpfenning. Eating high-fiber foods with each meal and snack can help you hit the recommended daily 25 to 38 grams. Add in fatty fish: The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, anchovies and sardines weekly. Research reveals their long-chain omega-3 fats, EPA and DHA, may help reduce triglycerides. Regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can be a major contributor to high triglycerides. Their excessive sugar can elevate triglycerides by increasing blood sugar, insulin and belly fat and by providing more sugar and fructose than your body can efficiently metabolize in one sitting. In addition, sugary drinks are easy to consume in excess and usually replace more nutritious alternatives. That doesn't mean you can never enjoy a small glass of sweet tea or a soda. But limiting sugary drinks, combined with lifestyle changes like limiting or avoiding alcohol, exercising and eating more fatty fish and fiber-rich foods, can help keep your triglycerides in check and protect your heart. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Business Recorder
15-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Minister informs NA: Reko Diq project to generate over $75bn in free cash flows
ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Energy (Petroleum Division) Ali Pervaiz Malik said that Reko Diq Project will be the largest Western investment in Pakistan and is forecasted to generate more than $75 billion in free cash flows over the current life of mine plan which is nearly 37 years. In written reply to a question to the National Assembly on Thursday, the minister said that total volume and estimated value of Reko Diq (RD) is; Phase-I production starting 2028: Targeting 300,000 oz/annum of gold and 200,000 tons/annum of copper. He said that Phase-2 production is starting 2034: 500,000 oz/annum of gold and 400,000 tons/annum of copper. He said that these numbers are based on real cash flows, which are conservative. He said the nominal free-cash flows assuming a standard commodity price escalation may yield to more than $100 billion of cash flows. Barrick's Reko Diq project in Pakistan aims new financing The minister said that project structure with 25 per cent share of Balochistan besides taxes and royalty provisions, ensures that a significant share of the economic benefits of the project will flow to Pakistan, with the majority of those amounts paid to the Government of Balochistan. He said the key fiscal terms for the project include (among others) are: - five per cent royalty payable to the Government of Balochistan, one per cent net smelter return payable to the Government of Pakistan. He said that 0.5 per cent export processing zone surcharge. To ensure that Balochistan is receiving benefits during the development and construction phases, the minister said that advance royalty payments to the Government of Balochistan were made by the Project Company in year 1 ($5 million) and year 2 ($7.5 million) and will be made in year 3 and thereafter until commercial production ($10 million per year), for a maximum total amount of advance payments of $50 million. The minister said that according to the bankable Feasibility Report, the key development phases are: Phase-1 construction: 2025 – 2028, Phase-1 Production: 2028, Phase-2 construction: 2028 – 2033, Phase-2 production: 2034 He said that adequate measures and steps have been ensured and taken for environmental safeguards, community development and employment opportunities besides local business opportunities. He said that $5.3 million has been spent in education, health, skills training, and clean water access since 2022. He said that construction phase: one per cent of all construction capital (estimated at approximately $57 million for Phase 1 and $33 million for Phase 2 based on the updated feasibility study); $10 million has already been paid toward this commitment in advance to Government of Balochistan. About the operating phase of the project, the minister said that 0.4 per cent of annual revenue during every fiscal year commercial production estimated at approximately $25 million per year. He said that major local employment: 7,500 jobs during peak construction; 4,000 jobs in the long term. Currently, 77 per cent of RDMC employees are from Balochistan. He said that various steps taken to ensure maximum possible benefit to the people of Balochistan include royalty at five per cent of revenue (net smelter revenue) goes to the Government of Balochistan. He said that an advance royalty arrangement has been made, providing total of $50 million until production commences in 2028, after which regular royalty payments will begin. The minister said that 75 per cent of employees in the project are from Balochistan. 4,000+ long term jobs and 7,500+ people during peak construction will be employed. He said Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC) is governed by a board chaired by the chief secretary of Balochistan, with the secretary Mines and Minerals as a member, alongside representatives from federal state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and Barrick. The board meets quarterly to oversee project progress and ensure transparency, he said.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
We Asked 5 Nutrition Experts How to Choose the Healthiest Yogurt—They All Said the Same Thing
Reviewed by Dietitian Kelly Plowe, M.S., RDYogurt can be a great addition to your diet if you know what to look for (and what to avoid). Experts suggest yogurts that offer protein and probiotics while being low in added sugar. Dietary fat from dairy (like yogurt) might not be as problematic as was once it comes to yogurt, it's easier to tell that some products are inherently healthier than others. A tub of plain Greek yogurt, for example, is a far cry from something that is studded with brownies and tastes suspiciously like ice cream. Still, there's more to choosing a good-for-you yogurt than you might expect—and clever marketing can add an extra layer of uncertainty. Meanwhile, the debate around the merits of whole-fat versus low-fat dairy continues to add to the confusion. Want to select a creamy treat that'll really do your body good? We asked five nutrition experts for their top tips on identifying healthy yogurts. Here's what they had to say. Though there's no need to go overboard on protein, this macro has plenty of merit for health. 'Protein is essential for muscle repair, and it helps keep you full while supporting a healthy metabolism,' says Lauren Klein, M.S., RDN. It just so happens that yogurt can make a great choice for boosting your protein intake. Many yogurts are loaded with the stuff! Before you purchase, look for a yogurt's protein content by scanning its nutrition facts label. A yogurt with 10 grams or more (per serving) is considered high-protein since it supplies 20% of the Daily Value of 50 grams. Remember, too, that the type of milk and style of yogurt can make a major difference to protein content. 'Yogurt made from real milk is a good source of high-quality protein,' points out Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN. A single-serve tub of high-protein dairy yogurt like Icelandic skyr, for example, typically contains three times the protein of an almond milk-based yogurt., That said, plant-based options like soy yogurt can also bring the protein with about 7 grams per single-serve container. It's good advice, no matter what food you're selecting: check added sugars before you consume. Overdoing it on the sweet stuff can put the 'hurt' in 'yoghurt,' since too much sugar in the diet may increase the risk of chronic diseases, says Klein. How much is too much? The American Heart Association recommends that men limit their intake to 9 teaspoons (36 grams) of added sugars per day, and women should aim for less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day. 'Eating sweetened yogurt often can cause you to exceed these recommendations without realizing it,' says Klein. Ingredients like cookie pieces, sprinkles, and chocolate are easy to spot, of course, but check labels to determine what you're getting. Even innocuous-seeming fruit yogurts may get more of their sweetness from added sugars than real fruits. 'You can look for plain yogurt instead of flavored yogurt to help you limit added sugar, then add some fresh fruit like berries or bananas,' suggests Melissa Altman-Traub, M.S., RDN, LDN. Every yogurt is made with bacterial strains, but in some cases, heat treatment kills them off during processing, meaning they no longer provide benefits. To ensure you're choosing a yogurt with the digestive health boost of probiotics, look for the "Live & Active Cultures" seal from the National Yogurt Association, recommends Andrea Ballenthin, M.S., CNS, LDN. This seal means that a yogurt brand has at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time it's manufactured, she says. 'These beneficial bacteria support digestion by helping break down food and enhancing nutrient absorption, while also replenishing the gut's healthy microbes.' Did you know calcium isn't the only mineral yogurt provides? Yogurt can also be a source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and potassium. Sloan recommends checking labels for the presence of these important minerals. 'These nutrients contribute to bone health, energy metabolism and overall nutrient adequacy.' For years, health guidance around dairy foods focused on choosing lower-fat versions whenever possible. But today's up-to-the-minute research shows that dairy fat isn't the bogeyman it was once believed to be. 'Depending on your dietary goals, both low-fat and whole-milk yogurts can be healthy choices,' says Sloan. 'Research shows that neither full-fat nor low-fat dairy products are associated with weight gain.' If you enjoy the richness of a high-fat yogurt, it can be a good choice for promoting feelings of satisfaction and satiety. 'Maintaining a little bit of fat in yogurt helps it taste creamier without excess sugar,' says Kerry Hackworth, M.S., RD, LDN. 'Also, fat helps absorb certain vitamins and helps to round out your meal.' On the other hand, the American Heart Association continues to recommend non-fat or low-fat yogurt for heart health. If your doctor or dietitian has advised you to stick with a low-fat diet, it's important to abide by their guidance. Once you've selected a healthy yogurt, it's time to put it to good use! With creamy texture and easy blendability, yogurt is among the most versatile foods on the planet. Enjoy it with these expert-recommended tips: Mind the portion size. However you eat your yogurt, keep portions in mind. To balance calories and nutrient intake, Sloan recommends sticking to a standard serving of yogurt, about ¾ cup to 1 cup. Make a . 'Adding fruit is a great way to enjoy yogurt!' says Klein. 'This will add natural sweetness, color and fiber and makes for a powerfully satiating snack.' Use it as a topping. Sure, you can dollop yogurt on savory dishes like tacos and chilis—but Altman-Traub encourages using it on sweeter foods like pancakes or waffles, too. Make it a dip. Hackworth says she enjoys adding spices and seasonings to transform yogurt into an easy, protein-packed dip for veggies. Use it in baking. 'Yogurt tenderizes the protein in flour, resulting in soft-to-the-bite muffins, pastries or cakes,' says Sloan. 'Its slightly acidic flavor adds a bit of tang.' Yogurt is undeniably a healthy food, but the ingredients it contains can either elevate or detract from its overall nutritional impact. A product with a pile of added candy pieces and falling short on protein won't offer the same nutritional benefits as a low-sugar variety made from high-protein milk. When making a selection at the store, be sure to turn tubs around to compare nutrition facts labels and ingredient lists. They tell the true story of yogurt's healthfulness, providing details about protein, sugar, fat and micronutrients. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
