Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) on Tuesday called for an early announcement and implementation of new trade policy in letter and spirit with a clear-cut export target to the Pakistan Missions abroad. The Chairman PIAF Engineer Sohail Lashari in a meeting with Chairman Auto-parts Manufacturers and Exporters Association Tahir Javaid Malik said the business community, in-spit of friendly policies fail to give results due to lack of effective implementation of policies.
There is a dire need to change the mindset at Pakistan Missions abroad which would happen only when our diplomats would be given target to enhance exports, he said. The Pakistani ambassadors should ensure that Commercial Attaches are collecting all trade related information and passing on to the Chambers of Commerce in Pakistan for the benefit of common businessman.
Lashari said the exports are an area where a little focus can revive the economy in shortest possible time, thus the government should appoint only those people as Commercial Attaches who have some business experience as well. "The government needs to take private sector on board for identification of suitable persons to be appointed as Commercial Attaches" he added.
The government should realise that the country needs a paradigm shift to enable local businessmen to become globally competitive and export those products which are valued more in the international market, he maintained. He further said presently the local industry is facing multiple challenges including shortage of gas and electricity, poor innovation, low labour productivity, little Foreign Direct Investment and lack of product and geographical diversification. The heavy government borrowing is also coming in the way of industrialisation. "The unavailability of cheaper money to the businessmen is also a very serious issue and if it remained unattended the unemployment graph would touch new highs, he said.
He said that the government have to tackle pressing supply side constraints including cost of capital on priority basis for enhancing competitiveness as Pakistani merchandise are fast losing their due place in the global market only because their high prices.
He said that country's exports can become an engine of growth and can bring prosperity in Pakistan, if relevant institutions, both in public and private sectors implement a well tailored, well consulted and widely discussed strategy. The PIAF Chairman also urged the government to focus on South America and African Union where competition is low and profit is high.