Govt hopes to achieve $40bn exports next year: Commerce Minister

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said that the government will hopefully achieve the export target of dollars 40 billion next year.

"We have achieved our target of exports worth dollars 25 billion with the help of the business community and would hopefully achieve our target next year as well with improved performance," he said.

The Federal Minister said that multi-lateral talks were underway for the promotion of trade particularly with China, Central Asian States and other countries.

The Federal Minister was addressing a ceremony to celebrate the achievement of target of dollars 25 billion organised here by Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).

He said it was for the first time that Pakistan got good response on non-traditional exports particularly mangoes not only in the United States but UK, Australia and other countries as well through commercial offices of the embassies of the country.

The Minister said that preferential trade agreements were also on the table with many countries with the help of the business community to promote exports in the coming years.

"It is also our endeavour to get rid of the culture of red-tapism from the Ministry of Commerce to facilitate our exporters," he maintained.

He said the target of export was achieved through the guidance of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

President FPCCI, Haji Ghulam Ali expressed his optimism to achieve the next year's export target as well.

Federal Secretary Commerce Zafar Mehmood and CEO of TDAP Tariq Puri also spoke on the occasion.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011