Country witnesses 5.5 percent increase in exports: NA told

ISLAMABAD: Parliamentary Secretary for Textile, Commerce, Industries Production and Board of Investment Aliya Hamza Malik on Monday informed the National Assembly that the country witnessed 5.5 percent increase in exports.

Replying to a question during the question hour in the House, Aliya Hamza said the exports of the country were increased mainly due to the prudent polices of the present government.

She said that despite the fact that exports of the whole region were decreasing but the exports of the country were increasing.

Aliya Malik said that exports of the country were previously very less due to the wrong policies of the previous governments of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP).

She said that present government imposed ban on luxury items and tried its level best to increase the exports of the country, adding that PTI government was promoting industrialization.

Aliya Hamza said that Pakistan and Middle East share deep rooted and historical ties and Arab Countries have remained a major market for Pakistani exports.

She said the government took various initiatives for trade enhancement with the Middle East.

She said that new commercial section have been established in Jordan with the objective to improve trade ties with a non-GCC member country in the region.

She said, to enhance trade with the Arab countries in Africa, under “Look Africa Policy” the Ministry of Commerce have set up two new Commercial Sections in Egypt and Algeria in 2020.

Aliya Hamza said another Commercial Section in Sudan has been established and will be made operational soon, as the officer posted there is fulfilling pre-departure formalities.

To a question, she said Pakistan currently exports US $ 261.49 million of meat and US $ 0.05 million of poultry to most of the Arab nations.

Pakistani meat and poultry are available in major chain stores in Qatar, Kuwait and KSA, she added.

Aliya Hamza said the certification for export of meat and poultry products to Middle Eastern countries is a major challenge and Ministry of Commerce, Trade & Investment Officers and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan are working together to overcome these challenges through different activities.

She said that Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has introduced a new set of requirements of halal certification for export of meat/beef.

Slaughter houses and Halal Certification Bodies (HCBs) in Pakistan are being sensitized with the new criteria and one company, M/s International Halal Certification Pvt. Ltd. (IHC), has been registered with SFDA with the assistance of Trade Mission in Riyadh.

Aliya Hamza said that other companies are in the process of getting themselves registered with SFDA.

There is a potential market for export of beef to Jordan, however due to non-registration of Pakistani slaughter houses with the Ministry of Agriculture of Jordan, presently Pakistan is unable to export to Jordan.