'Government to boost trade with Saarc states'

A former senior vice-chairman of Faisalabad Dry Port Trust, Fahim Mahmood Shah, hosted an Iftar dinner at his residence in Civil Lines here on Monday for Mushtaq Ali Cheema, Federal Minister for Textile Industry.
Talking with newsmen, the minister said that the government is determined to boost bilateral trade with Saarc countries and appropriate steps are being taken in this regard. He said that through regional trade, Pakistan could enhance its trade volume in the region.
The Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, he along with Humayun Akhtar, Federal Minister for Commerce, and members of the media were proceeding on visit of 3 Saarc countries namely, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, to discuss ways and means to substantially increase the volume of bilateral trade.
This visit would subsequently be followed by another visit to India, Sri Lank and Maldives after one month, he added.
He expressed confidence that these visits would bring fruit and help boost Pakistan's textiles and other products' exports to Saarc countries.
Cheema said that he had recently met President Pervez Musharraf and discussed certain vital issues with him. He said that President Musharraf has promised to reduce the rate of GST and anti-dumping duty. This step will provide relief to trade and industry and help boost production.
The Textile Industry Minister said that proper office accommodation for the newly created textile ministry has been provide by the government where it is fully functioning now.
He assured the manufacturers and exporters of textile goods that the ministry would help them in evolving new world markets for the consumption of their goods. He, however, advised the textile goods manufacturers to improve quality of their products to compete in the global markets.
Prominent entrepreneurs, exporters, importers and top businessmen attended the Iftar dinner and assured the Minister that textile manufacturers would try their optimum to produce qualitative products and help the government in boosting exports to earn the direly needed foreign exchange.
Among those who attend the dinner were Shahzad Ali Siddiqi, Muhammad Moazzam, Umer Nazar Shah, Munawar A Sheikh, Khushnood Ahmad, Faiq Jawed, Sh Mukhtar Ahmad, Ahmad Kamal, Mukhtar Ahmad Sheikh, Raza Nasrullah Ghumman, Mumtaz Ali Cheema, Fawad Cheema, Tahir Hussain, M Amin, Muhammad Saeed, Tahir Sheikh, Anwar Sajjad, Muhammad Siddique, Nisar Ahmad Mannoo, Khalid Javed and Saleem-ul-Hassan.