Efforts on to increase country's exports

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Commerce and Textile, Muhammad Pervaiz Malik said on Saturday that a number of concrete steps were being taken to increase volume of country's overall exports.

Addressing the closing ceremony of 19th Poultry Expo-2017 here at Lahore Expo Centre, he said the government was very much serious to resolve the problems being faced by poultry sector.

He added that poultry sector was playing an important role in provision of high-quality proteins to the nation.

Pervaiz Malik said the government, while taking all the stakeholders on board, wanted to chalk out a comprehensive programme that would not only increase the poultry but also overall exports of the country.

He added that government was ready to provide infrastructural and all other facilities to poultry industry.

He said that there was a great demand of poultry and poultry meat in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and business talks with authorities concerned of UAE were underway to avail this opportunity.

The Federal Minister said that Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) was working proactively to ensure increase in poultry and other exports of the country.

He also appreciated the role of Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) and congratulated the PPA office-bearers for holding a successful 19th poultry expo.

He advocated for exchange of trade delegations and holding of trade seminar and exhibitions so as to boost poultry exports and resolve problems of this sector.

Pervaiz Malik said that Ministry of Commerce would provide all-out support to poultry sector and remove bottle necks hampering its speedy development, asserting that step were also being taken for successful implementation of export package announced by the government in an effort to jack-up country's exports.

He said that Pakistani products could not get their proper market share due to high input cost, assuring that government was taking remedial measures to this effect so as to make Pakistani merchandise compatible in the global markets.

He assured that relevant problems of poultry sector would be taken up with Minister of National Food Security, besides reviewing various taxes on the poultry and poultry products.

The Federal Minister mentioned that Prime Minister was also striving hard to ensure increase in the exports that would not only benefit the poultry but also other export-oriented industry.

Punjab Livestock Minister Muhammad Asif Saeed, Pakistan Poultry Association (PPA) Chairman Dr. Abdul Karim, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Abdul Basit, Abdul Haye Mehta and PPA Central Chairman Khalil Sattar also spoke on the occasion.