Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Wednesday termed Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) as white elephant and demanded of the government to abolish it immediately. 'The government either to make it a really trade and export promoting entity or abolish it immediately in the larger national interest,' President ICCI, Mian Shaukat Masud said in a statement.
He said that lackluster and bureaucratic approach of TDAP towards business community created communication gap between the exporters and concerned governments trade and export development agencies. Mian Shaukat was of the view that this practice was badly hurting the national exports. He said TDAP was assigned to work with businessmen and exporters in close liaison for promoting trade and maximising exports of goods and services from Pakistan.
TDAP was also tasked to help facilitate exporters' capabilities and capacities. However, all these goals were just on paper while the on ground situation was that TDAP had miserably failed to provide any worthwhile help and support to business community for improving trade and exports. ICCI President said TDAP was playing the role of just exhibitions' organising body in foreign countries while the best way to enhance Pakistan's trade and exports with other countries was to include businessmen in foreign delegations as they were the real stakeholders for finding out export opportunities for Pakistan. But he lamented that the precious money was being wasted on the foreign trips of TDAP officials just to enjoy these trips instead of exploring business opportunities.
He said that the government only changed the name of Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) to Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) which was still implementing the old and unrealistic policies of the EPB due to which it was proving an additional burden on the national exchequer. He said that increase in exports could never be possible without forging mutual understanding and co-operation between the exporters and the concerned government agencies meant for the exports promotion.-PR