The Punjab is fully geared to meet the challenges posed by implementation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements in different key sectors of the economy.
Planning and Development, Punjab, Chairman Suleman Ghani stated this while addressing the participants on the certificate awarding ceremony of the short course on "WTO, GATS and Trips0 in Pakistan," held at the postgraduate seminar room of the GC University.
This course was arranged by the Department of Economics in collaboration with the Ministry of Commerce and Trade Initiatives from Human Development Perspective (TIHP). He said the WTO offered enormous opportunities for the local business entrepreneurs, which could gain advantages by improving the competitiveness of their products to compete in international markets.
He said Punjab contributed more than 60 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP) and as such its share of international trade was significant. Ministry of Commerce's Additional Secretary and TIHP National Programme Director Naseem Qureshi underlined the need to increase productivity of various economic sectors to meet WTO challenges in the coming years.
GC University, Lahore, Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Khalid Aftab said the WTO had provided the developing countries, such as Pakistan, the opportunities to exploit their trade potential to its optimal level.
He also mentioned that in addition to WTO short courses, the department of economics was also running masters' programme in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and banking and finance, adding the department had future plans to launch masters programme in WTO and economy of Pakistan.
Department of Economics Chairman Professor Salahuddin explained the objectives of the course. WTO Programme Co-ordinator Asif Saeed also spoke on the occasion. Later, chief guest of the ceremony Suleman Ghani gave away certificates to the course participants.