Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar has said that the efforts to diversify exports, in terms of commodities and geographical destinations, have yielded very positive results. "Our dependence on few commodities is decreasing.
This is evident from the fact that the share of textiles in total exports has declined to 59 percent from the previous level of 68 percent," he said while talking to APP. On the project for establishment of warehousing facility in Polish capital, Warsaw, he said that efforts were being made to establish this facility on the lines of the one earlier established in Kenya.
He expressed hope that warehousing in Warsaw, when established, would help Pakistan increase exports to Eastern Europe.
About likely impact of the proposed National Trade Corridor Improvement Program (NTCIP), he said that improvement of infrastructure would definitely help in boosting exports, especially to the markets of Central Asia.
Under this programme, the government is working for improvement of ports and shipping, highways, railways, trucking sector and trade facilitation mechanisms.
He said that efforts to improve domestic commerce and regional trade would also yield dividends. He said that Pakistan would achieve the exports target of $18.6 billion during current fiscal year.
He said that Free Trade Agreement between Pakistan and China would be signed during Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit to Pakistan next month.
He hoped that FTAs would also be signed with Malaysia and Singapore within this year, which would increase Pak exports to South-East Asia.
On Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Humayun said that draft bill on TDAP had been finalised and would be presented in the parliament very soon. He hoped that the formation of TDAP would help increase exports from Pakistan significantly.