The chairman, Export Promotion Bureau of Pakistan (EPB), Tariq Ikram, has said the exports of the country had been on the rise for last four years, and the current momentum in the growing exports would greatly help in achieving the export target of $12 billion fixed for the current year.
Addressing the members of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Wednesday here, the EPB chief said over all the export has been registered $8 billion so far in the country, adding the recent increase in the export was mainly due to the diversification made in the products and geographic sectors.
Under the diversification in products, 10 sectors of different products have been given special attention which included IT, food and vegetable, fisheries, chemicals, pharmaceutical, engineering goods, handicrafts, agriculture products, etc, he added.
He was of the view that export of non-traditional products could bring $3 billion to $3.50 billion in the country within next three to four years, saying there was a 25 percent increase in the export of non-traditional items, as compared with the last year.
Similarly, he said that geographic diversification had also helped in booming the exports.
Tariq Ikram also informed the house that geographic diversification had brought numerous markets in Eastern Europe and Africa for our products, saying the export of the country to Eastern Europe and Africa had increased up to 44 percent and 37 percent, respectively during the current year.
The EPB chief called upon the business community engaged in surgical industry, lather garments, and sports goods to focus their attention to edging out the shortfall for the vital interests of these industries as well as special attention should be focused on the modernisation of their industrial units.
He, however, expressed high hope for the broad improvement in the export of textile, garments and rice in the future.
The EPB chief said to compete with China in the garments sector, the business community of the country should adopt revolutionary steps as Chinese were 60 percent more advanced in this sector.
He assured the business community of Sialkot that full co-operation and assistance would extended for the construction of Display Centre, and elimination of child labour from the industrial sector of Sialkot.
SCCI President Tahir Majid Kapur, in his address of welcome, stressed the need for adopting adequate measures to create awareness about WTO regime among the business community of Sialkot.