GSP Plus termed success story

Convener of Treaty Implementation Cell (TIC), Ashtar Ali Ausaf claimed Friday that the GSP Plus scheme has proven an economic success story for Pakistan with exports to the EU having increased by 38 percent since 2014. Talking to Business Recorder Friday, Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ali Ausaf further said that Pakistan''s exports to the EU now make up 33 percent of the country''s global exports with its textile exports having increased by 55 percent.
Recently Ashtar Ali Ausaf, Federal Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik and others met with Members of European Parliament (MEPs) and the governments of the EU member Brussels, Belgium and Germany for continued support of EU member states for Pakistan''s GSP Plus status.
Prior to proceeding abroad, the convener TIC and federal commerce minister had deliberated upon legal aspects of continuation of GSP Plus status in the country to develop a comprehensive approach and prepare a mid-term review plan due in January 2018.
It is worth mentioning that the EU reportedly has expressed reservations over use and frequency of the death penalty, however, Pakistan has affirmed during the meetings that the list of offences attracting capital punishment was under review, and that effective safeguard mechanisms have been instituted to prevent its misuse.
Ashtar Ali Ausaf claimed that the EU officials appreciated the strides made by the creation and operation of the TIC in fulfilling Pakistan''s international obligations, as well as the Commerce Ministry''s trade efforts in lowering sales tax on imported goods and facilitating import of beef from EU member states.
The EU officials also emphasized that Pakistan was amongst the most significant states to receive GSP Plus status - at a time when the biennial review approaches.
The EU extended GSP Plus status to Pakistan in 2014, granting Pakistani products duty-free access to European markets whereby in return, Pakistan was to implement 27 core United Nations Conventions that it had previously ratified. Besides, the EU second biennial review of the scheme is imminent, with its review report due in January 2018.
In Brussels, the delegation met senior EU officials at the European Commission and European Parliament, including Jan Figel, EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU, MEP Christofer Fjellner, Chair of the GSP Plus Review Committee, MEP Jean Lambert, Chair of the South Asia Delegation, MEP Peter Van Dalen, and Co-Chair of the Inter-Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
The delegation also met Kris Peeters, Deputy Prime Minister of Belgium, Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for Trade, and MEPs Sajjad Karim, Chair of the Pakistan Friendship Group, Jean-Christophe Belliard, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs EEAS, and Stavros Lambrindis, EU Special Representative for Human Rights. In Berlin, the delegation held meetings with German officials including Uwe Beckmeyer, Parliamentary State Secretary, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.