The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will develop the web portals of exporters, promote marketing through internet and exploit the export potentials of pharmaceutical sector. This was decided in a meeting, minutes of which were made available to Business Recorder on Monday.
The meeting, held to review the new trade policy, was presided over by TDAP Chief Executive Tariq Ikram and attended by the senior officials and executive directors of the authority. Addressing the meeting, the TDAP Chief Executive called for further enhancing trade facilitation to the stakeholders.
To further exploit the export potential of pharmaceutical sector, the meeting proposed to provide 50 percent cost of audit/accreditation by the various international health regulatory bodies and bio-equivalence and similar testing in World Health Organisation (WHO) accredited labs.
Reviewing the present trade policy, the TDAP Chief Executive expressed satisfaction over the progress made by the authority so far, and decided to hold meeting with the pharmaceutical companies to work out the modalities. The TDAP would also make frequent consultations with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) and Rice Exporters' Association of Pakistan (Reap) to produce qualitative Japonica rice for the export purposes.
To arrest decline in the exports of carpet, he said the TDAP's proposal to allow the import of semi-finished carpets on temporary basis under the customs SRO 1065, might be implemented by the Ministry of Commerce through a notification.
The meeting was told that the TDAP was also working with the Ministry of Commerce to look into the promotion of the exports of engineering goods by proposing an inland freight subsidy for transportation of goods destined for exports.
The authority is also working to further develop and promote women entrepreneurship in the country by giving them (women entrepreneurs) a common facilitation centre, technical workshop and industrial plots.
The meeting decided that the proposals would be submitted to the Planning Commission for the PSDP funding on completion of PC-I. The meeting, while mulling various steps for the development of gem and jewellery sector, proposed that the revision of value addition for export of gold and jewellery was likely to be amended in the SRO.