KARACHI: Naeem Anwar, Chairman of National tariff Commission (NTC), has announced that NTC is all-willing to take up traders complaints from all sectors for their quick, amicable and win-win resolution.
He visited FPCCI to discuss tariff barriers to trade; and, their progressive resolution in consultation with the business, industry and trade community of Pakistan - the real stakeholders of the country. He also expressed his desire to collaborate with FPCCI’s Policy Advisory Board to conduct researches into identifying the issues and their productive resolutions.
NTC Chairman also stressed that the commission will be forthcoming to facilitate FPCCI in their efforts to open-up new avenues, product-lines, markets and regions for the country – aimed at diversifying & expanding its exports. We encourage FPCCI to come up with recommendations that can help remove barriers to trade through exchange of views & delegations with their counterpart chambers in other countries, he added.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, President FPCCI, explained that NTC can play a catalytic role in the growth of Pakistani trade with emerging markets of Central Asian countries and Africa through formulating their policies in a facilitative, growth-oriented and internationally-aligned manner. Central Asian countries are energy-rich nations; but, limited in their potential for trade due to their landlocked geography. The Caspian Sea allows for trade between these countries themselves; but, it does not provide them much-needed access to the world’s ocean waterways and global markets, he added.
FPCCI Chief also maintained that being the apex body over all chambers and associations of Pakistan, FPCCI is uniquely-positioned to aggregate the feedback from all sectors of the economy and liaison with NTC to help them resolve issues & grievances pertaining to tariffs.
Irfan Iqbal Sheikh also highlighted a few glaring challenges hampering the growth of Pakistani exports: (i) poor rail connectivity to the borders & novice land-based trade infrastructure with regional & sub-regional countries (ii) customs & border controls with the regional countries of Central Asia (iii) inefficient ports of Pakistan which are in the need of investments into much-needed technological up-gradation (iv) lack or absence of commercial banking channels with the regional countries (v) lack of cold storage facilities in border areas for the perishable goods.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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