Pakistan urgently requires to streamline its legal and other preparatory procedures for effective implementation of WTO agreements.
This was observed by eminent Kashmiri business community leader and former president of Azad Jammu Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed in an interview to APP here on Saturday.
"Being a member of the World Trade Organisation, Pakistan has to abide by the rules and regulations of the organisation," Saeed said.
Therefore, Pakistan has to speed up its efforts for developing necessary infrastructure, amending its policies and enacting legislation to protect bio-diversity and plant breeders' rights," he said.
Chaudhry Saeed, also former vice-president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, continued that the WTO agreements pose many challenges and opportunities to Pakistan and better understanding of the new regime is also important for capitalising the opportunities, he urged.
He emphatically said that Pakistan would have to produce more competitively and cost effectively in order to stay in the world market and compete internationally, adding "our agriculture requires actions to increase the productivity and diversification in production systems."
The pioneer Kashmiri industrialist and business analyst said, "agricultural scientists will have to develop low-cost technological package and demand-driven varieties of fruits and vegetables for making agriculture a profitable enterprise." "Agriculture remains the single largest sector of our economy and its sustainable development is vital for the socio-economic well being of the farmers."
LIBERAL POLICIES: He said that the government should enforce liberal policies for international trade and provide forum for trade negotiations where national trade policies would be monitored and trade disputes could be settled.
The forum will provide an opportunity for technical assistance and training for development countries and co-operation with international trade organisations.
Agricultural producers in Pakistan faced the challenges in the international markets because in the presence of trade barriers ie substantial subsidy on agriculture provided by USA, Australia and other European countries, it was difficult for them to compete in the international market.
Secondly, he said, "the implementation programme of WTO up to year 2004 is required to be geared up as the time limit is running out."
Ch. Saeed opined that the situation will further become difficult in the year 2005 when all the members of WTO under the Uruguay Agreement will be free to access the market of member countries and Pakistan will only be able to survive, when it will produce quality goods and services and the exporters and importers will conduct their business in a fair and transparent way.
BRIGHT PROSPECTS: "Farmers should follow WTO standards in agricultural production as Pakistan has bright prospects of enhancing its agricultural exports by adopting WTO standards in the years to come.
The Kashmiri business community leader said: "The WTO agreements deserve special attention of all the stakeholders in general and cotton producers and ginners in particular and all the WTO agreements will be fully effective and in place by January 01, 2005 and no country can sell any sub-standard agricultural products in the international markets".
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