Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) appointed Ahmad Jawad as Chairman Regional Standing Committee on Horticulture Exports for the year 2017. According to a statement issued here, Jawad was also served as Chairman Standing Committee in Regional and Central level on Horticulture Sector at FPCCI in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Jawad said Pakistan Horticulture Sector has immense potential and now FPCCI also highlighted this sector in front of Government to address the issues of exporters. He said exporters can immediately raise Pakistan's horticulture exports to $1 billion if we get support of the government, as horticulture exports amounted to $641 million in 2015-16.
He said if we take a look internationally horticulture sector has been gaining importance since last two decades in world trade. The fact is that in recent years, developing countries have created a space for themselves in this market. But they are not able to move beyond four to five percent of the world trade and in comparison Pakistan's share is just 0.3 percent.
"Under Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) for 2015-18 a Short-Term Export Enhancement Strategy and under that the commerce ministry has identified four areas and horticulture is one of them but no incentive in the PM Exporters Incentive Package of Rs 180 billion which is unfortunate," he remarked.
Government must admit that horticulture sector has not received the attention it deserves. Pakistan's horticulture industry is well-distributed among the various climate zones which range from the sub-zero temperature of mountains of North to dry and humid plains of Punjab in the centre of the country and to the Coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh.
He said government should provide 5 percent incentive on freight-on-board (FOB) value and a 3-year holiday from the 1.25 percent tax including withholding tax (WHT) for strengthening this sector.
Jawad further highlighted the Acting Secretary General of FPCCI issued a press statement regarding SOP's and mentioned that he is defunct Chairman of Standing Committee. In fact the Acting Secretary General of FPCCI didn't check the notification from its Regional Office before issuing a press statement, but in haste he issued which was not correct.
The Memorandum and Articles of Associations of FPCCI clearly stated that VP/Regional Chairmen's of FPCCI can notify the Standing Committees for the regional level to serve the business community problems.