Ministry of Commerce efforts for 72 items export to EU

KARACHI: The Ministry of Commerce is taking steps to get approval for the export of 72 items to European Union and getting GSP Plus status for Pakistan.

This was stated by the Secretary Commerce Zafar Mahmood while taking to prominent exporters and representatives of various trade bodies relating to textile and clothing, agro food, leather, mines and minerals, gems and jewellery, information technology, services sector etc. at Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) here Monday.

Chief Executive TDAP Tariq Iqbal Puri was also present in the stakeholders' meeting which discusses measures to firm up the strategy for setting exports targets for financial year 2011-12 and for removal of bottlenecks facing exporters.

The Secretary Commerce suggested the exporters to get leverage from trade with India. Exporters were advised that they should give more focus on value addition of their products for fetching good export prices of their products. Ministry of Commerce and TDAP, through the trade officers, will market their value-added products, he added.

Secretary Commerce and CE TDAP assured that effective inter-ministerial coordination will be ensured to resolve issues hampering exports, especially with Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Secretary Commerce and CE TDAP said they will also hold meeting with Chief Secretary Sindh for resolving the matters affecting export of fisheries sector.

They said that special focus shall be given to non-traditional sectors like marble and granite, petroleum and its products, gems and jewellery and services sector, especially the information and technology and engineering consulting services.

They said that Ministry of Commerce and TDAP will continue to provide enabling environment for the exporter community to further boost exports.

Tariq Puri stressed on the business community that they should focus more on regional markets especially in China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

He said that TDAP was fast-tracking the Dazzle Park at Karachi near the airport for boosting the export of gems and jewellery sector.

The representatives of trade bodies were optimistic that efforts being made by Ministry of Commerce and TDAP will indeed ensure the momentum going for increase in exports. They were of the view that country's exports will see an increase of 10 % in the overall export value during FY 2011-12.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2010