FCCI chief calls for better liaison between public, private sectors

FAISALABAD: “Close and result-oriented liaison in public and private sector is imperative to give a quantum jump to the exports through structural changes, procedural, improvement and aligning the TDAP’s (Trade Development Authority of Pakistan) vision to the fast-changing global trends.”

President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) Dr Khurram Tariq said this while talking to a delegation of TDAP Faisalabad that met him in his office here Thursday. The delegation was headed by Fareeha Khan, Director TDAP, Faisalabad.

FCCI President Dr Khurram Tariq appreciated the proposal to organise sector specific webinars through Pakistani commercial counsellors deputed in different countries. He said that after identification of potential and B2B meetings delegations could also be arranged in order to ensure growth in exports. He stressed the need to evolve a separate strategy for textile, engineer,

IT and agriculture sectors and said that space might be allocated for FCCI in TEXPO-2023 scheduled to be held in May in Karachi. He said FCCI would allocate this space to the small business houses and new entrants as major exporters could independently get stalls without any support of the chamber.

He underlined the need for matchmaking and said that “our engineering sector should move from low value products to high value products.”

He said some institutions in Faisalabad were manufacturing and providing parts for aircrafts and BMW cars as vendors, adding “TDAP must focus on such institutions which would certainly inspire others to produce high value parts.” He also pointed out that IT was a potential sector and TDAP could focus on its promotion at the global level.

Director TDAP Faisalabad Fareeha Khan said agriculture, engineering, IT and textile EXPOs had been arranged, adding “our focus is on inviting serious buyers from the other countries.”

Quoting previous engineering EXPO, she said Ghazi and Millat tractors got sizable orders because of that event. She said many foreign buyers from Africa and Central Asian Republics participated in that event at their own expenses. She said that another exhibition was being held in Houston (America) and TDAP would bear 50 percent expenditures of the willing participants.

She said that OIC was also organising a trade fair in the month of June next year in Lahore, adding that businessmen from 56 countries were expected to participate in that exhibition and showcase their products. She said that TDAP could also arrange a single country exhibition in case of workable and result-oriented proposals. She said “the import substitution industry has also been included in the TEXPO as our textile export is heavily dependent on imports and its inclusion could help Pakistan to minimize its import bill.”

Vice President Muhammad Aslam Bhalli, Executive Member Muhammad Azhar Chaudhary, Maqsood Akhtar Butt, Rao Fazal-ur-Rehman Deputy Director and Hafiz Kamran Ahmad Assistant Director TDAP Faisalabad were also present during the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022