Chairman Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan (EPB) Tariq Ikram has said that government has introduced liberal trade policy aimed at providing meddling-free business opportunities to the exporter community of the country. Addressing the members of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Tuesday afternoon he added that the step had been taken to enable the business community to further accelerate the pace of export activities and strengthen the national economy.
During past four years, he said the exports of the country had been increased to 43 percent. The EPB chairman was confident that the limit of country's export would be exceeded to 98 percent adding that 41 percent export of textile had been increased.
Similarly, he said that we had earned 815 million dollars through the export of non-traditional products and 1,005 new non-traditional items have been introduced in international export market. The government had focused its special attention on promoting the non-traditional products and in this regard necessary assistance and guidance would be extended to the business community, he said.
Tariq Ikram stressed upon the business community engaged with surgical instruments manufacturing, sports goods and sportswear to use modern technologies and methods for improving the standard of their products. The manufacturing techniques globally had totally been changed due to the fast change in industrial techniques and it is high time that business community should concentrate on opting new manufacturing techniques to cope with the new challenges he said and added that surgical, sports, sportswear and leather industries of Sialkot had become stagnate, due to use of outdated manufacturing technology and old machinery.
The chairman EPB called upon the exporters to take necessary step for upgrading their industrial units to fulfil the world challenges and to compete the global market more easily. He disclosed that a sector committee had been constituted which consists of major exporters and EPB officials adding that trade policy and budget would be prepared in accordance with the recommendations of the committee.
On the pressing demands of SCCI he said that EPB would subsidy to the ten-member trade delegation of Sialkot chamber that was scheduled to visit Latin America in near future.
In his address of welcome, the President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Qaiser S. Shabbir demanded that 80 percent of export development fund (EDF) collected should be utilised for Sialkot because Sialkot contributes significant amount in EDF. The SCCI president also demanded Rs 190 million for the construction of cargo facility at Sialkot International Airport. He lauded the key role of EPB for staging the first ever mega international event, Expo-Pakistan, to showcase the Pakistani products for the promotion of exports.
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