Chairman Standing Committee of Sarhad Chamber on Dry Port, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi has stressed upon the government to take effective measures for strengthening trade infrastructure and enhancing country's export.
Expressing reaction over the new Trade Policy for the year 2004-05, Zia Sarhadi has termed the export target of dollar 13.7 billion as difficult.
In the prevailing circumstances when the global trade is faced with recession, the export target for the current year is difficult to be achieved, he observed.
However, he continued, government has to give maximum incentives to exporters and improve the performance of commercial attachies of the country for achieving this target.
Zia Sarhadi, who is also chairman of Frontier Custom Agents Group NWFP, has hailed the measures announced in the policy like permission for importing tractors, bulldozers under gift scheme, sending samples up to the value of dollar 25,000, establishment of Suppliers Credit Fund of 10 million dollar for sale of Pakistani product in Africa and Central Asian Countries and provision of free subsidy.
Zia demanded of the government to declare export as `exempted' for all sort of taxes and rescind the decision of Export Development Surcharge.
For promotion of export culture in the country, undue hurdles of Central Board of Revenue (CBR), Ministry of Commerce and concerned departments should be removed.
Pakistan export can only increase when country's goods can compete in international market and for improving the production standard of industries government should take measures for finding new markets in the world.
Zia Sarhadi said the government should expedite the procedure of payment of rebate and duty draw back to the exporters.
He also stressed for measures to re-activate closed industrial units whose number runs in hundreds.
Unless these closed units are reactivated, the country's export cannot improve, he viewed.
Zia Sarhadi deplores that ban on import of reconditioned cars was not lifted in the new trade policy.
Though the idea of protecting local industry is positive approach, but its burden should not be put on masses, he remarked.
The government should press local automobile industry to quickened delivery of vehicle at controlled rates, he demanded.
Referring to permission for import of second hand machinery, Zia said this decision would bring a revolution in the textile sector.
About 200 textile units in America were recently closed due to increase in production cost and if the machinery of these mills were brought to Pakistan it will bring a revolution in textile sector, he opined.
The government, he said, should take positive and business friendly measures for developing country's economy and achieving the export target, Zia concluded.