LAHORE: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) organised a seminar on Electronic Certificate of Origin (ECO) in collaboration with Pakistan Single Window (PSW) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP).
The event aimed to educate representatives from member mills about the benefits and procedures of obtaining electronic certificates of origin.
Kamal Shahryar, Advisor/Focal Person and Tariq Idrees, Deputy Director from TDAP and Rizwan Samad, Deputy Manager and Muhammad Umar Saleem, Business Analyst from PSW addressed the seminar.
Secretary General APTMA Mohammad Raza Baqir welcomed the guests at APTMA Lahore office. A large number of representatives from member mills attended the seminar to get know-how about ECC.
Kamal Shahryar from TDAP kicked off the seminar with a detailed presentation, thanking APTMA for organizing the event. He explained that PSW developed the ECO system for TDAP, and both organizations are working together to resolve exporters’ issues. The system, which launched two months ago, has completely replaced manual proceedings with electronic operations for Certificate of Origin.
Shahryar also discussed the importance of approaching TDAP for preferential trade certificates and Chambers of Commerce and Industry for non-preferential trade. He provided insights into the REX system, GSP, and other trade-related schemes, as well as Pakistan’s beneficial preferential arrangements, including three Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), five Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs), four multilateral agreements, GSTP, and PTN.
Additionally, Muhammad Umar Saleem and Rizwan Samad from PSW walked participants through online Customs and regulatory processes. The interactive seminar allowed attendees to raise queries, which were addressed by the visiting officers from TDAP and PSW.
Raza Baqir said in his concluding remarks that the shift to Electronic Certificates of Origin is a significant step forward for Pakistan’s trade facilitation. As noted by the World Customs Organization, properly designed ECOs can reduce the risk of forgery and increase efficiency. This move aligns with global trends, where countries like China and the Republic of Korea have already adopted Electronic Certificates of Origin.
By embracing digital certification, he expressed the hope that Pakistan can streamline its trade processes, reduce costs, and enhance security. The International Chamber of Commerce emphasizes the importance of certificates of origin in facilitating global trade and commerce. With this new system in place, Pakistan is poised to improve its trade competitiveness and foster economic growth.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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