LAHORE: Commerce Minister Khurram Dastagir has inaugurated three-day ‘Pakistan Mega Leather Show 2015’, organised by the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) and Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association at the Expo Centre.
While talking to media, Dastagir said that despite tensions in the relationship between Pakistan and India since last year have not hurt bilateral trade as trade is continuing through Karachi, Wagah and the Line of Control.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Dastagir said that the country has come out of political unrest as it organised the first-ever leather show in Lahore and recently successfully concluded Expo Pakistan in Karachi.
The minister said that the leather show would help Pakistani exporters to establish relationship with international partners and explore new business avenues. An 11 per cent increase in the export of leather and its products in 2013-14 compared to 2012-13 spoke of the enormous potential of the sector, he said.
Dastagir said Pakistan Export Development Fund had approved Rs890 million for the leather sector.
On the occasion, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chairman S.M. Muneer drew the minister’s attention to the pending ST refunds claims worth Rs110 billion of exporters.
He said that the government could not achieve the export target of $50b by 2018-19 unless exporters were facilitated. He said the TDAP could enhance the country’s exports by up to $5b if the government made entire payment of refunds.
Around 250 Pakistani companies are displaying their products at 300 stalls, according to the organisers. Businessmen from Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Africa, Taiwan and Japan are also attending.
