Pakistani products: 'Grant of GSP Plus shows confidence of world markets'

Ms Zoe Leffler, a representative of European Union said: "Award of GSP Plus status shows the confidence of international markets in the excellent quality of Pakistani products." She said that this status would enable Pakistan to export more than US $1 billion worth of products to the international markets.
She was delivering a lecture at an awareness seminar on the conditionalities of the GSP Plus status. The event was chaired by Mian Iqbal Hassan President of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI). He said that Pakistan had miserably failed to take advantage of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus status extended by the European Union (EU) and our manufacturers should avail this opportunity to earn more and more foreign exchange and increasing the exports. The awareness seminar was jointly organised by MCCI and Pothohar Organisation for Development Advocacy (PODA), here on Wednesday. He said the GSP plus status granted to Pakistan is conditional on the ratification and implementation of 27 international conventions in the areas of human rights, labour standards, environment and good governance. Adoption of these conventions will assist Pakistan in integrating into the cross-border supply chain, which will strengthen manufacturing activity and further promote its exports. Pakistan has ratified almost all the conventions. The most critical aspect of these conventions is that the EU through the unnamed third parties from civil society or non-government organisations will strictly monitor the compliance.