Commerce ministry evaluates trade attaches' performance, to submit report to PM by next week

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Commerce has concluded the performance of Pakistan's trade attaches posted abroad in light of Key Performance Indicators (KPS) and report in this regard would be submitted to the prime minister by next week.

The trade officers who have not performed well for facilitation and promotion of country's trade would be called back, senior official of the ministry told APP here on Thursday.

The official said that trade officers had been appointed by the ministry for trade facilitation, promotion and trade diplomacy to work for enhancing the country's exports.

Replying to a question, he said that currently 57 trade officers were serving across the world including European Union (EU) South and North America, Oceana (Australia- New Zeland) World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva South Asia, South East Asia, North East Asia, Middle East and Central Asia.

He said that trade officers in these countries were working for facilitation to promotion the trade and also facilitate for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) with these regional countries.

The official said that trade officer were also facilitating the traders for exhibitions, seminars and delegation for enhancing the trade ties with their respective countries.

He said that the ministry was contributing to the national economy through trade facilitation and liberalization, improve export competitiveness and reduce the cost of doing business.

Replying to a question, he said that trade officers were committed to achieve higher market access for Pakistani products in foreign markets with the aim of increasing our share of export in the global trade.

"We are working to explore new trade avenues and markets in different regions to get access to these markets for promotion of country's trade," he said.

He said that new tarde policy mainly targeted the international and internal trade for improving supply chain, enhancing use of technology and providing competitiveness.

The government is committed in providing direction and diversification to internal trade for enhancing supply chains to enhance the country's exports.

He said that the Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) envisaged diversification of export markets through adoption of an outreach strategy for Africa, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Latin America.

The STPF 2015-18 aims at achieving annual exports to US$ 35 billion besides improving export competitiveness and making transition from `factor-driven' economy to `efficiency-driven' and `innovation-driven' economy.