MULTAN: The new trade policy will be a gift and government is well aware of the problems of the exporters and nowadays for the enhancement of exports, value addition is the demand of the day to compete the international market, to overcome the electricity and gas issues of the industry gas pipeline projects with Iran and Turkmanistan are in progress. The government will facilitate the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) to build the Expo Centre adjacent to its building.
These views were expressed by Federal Minister for Commerce, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, in a meeting with the members of the MCCI..
Mian Fareed Mughees Shaikh, Persident MCCI, raised the issues of textile and ceramic industries, withholding tax, gas and electricity ,sick industries and storage units for the export of mango in front of the Federal Minister for Commerce.
The Federal Minister said Pak-China Economic Corridor will bring prosperity in Pakistan and we are working on two gas pipeline projects with Iran and Turkmanistan to overcome the gas and electricity problems of the industry as well as the availability of LNG will also improve the situation. The present government has a strong desire to create a good working relationship with the traders and the new trade policy will prove it that we are ready to give a genuine relief to the exporters but the government has reservations regarding the misuse of the relief.
He said a new mechanism will be introduced regarding the refunding and the state Bank of Pakistan will monitor and scrutinize all this and the relief will directly go into the bank accounts of the exporters.
He further said sustainable management of the institutions is necessay and the government will help out the exporters of Multan for the export of mangoes and we are ready to build hot water treatment and cold chain plants in Multan but the exporters will have to run these institutions to themselves. He also said that the trade development board Multan will be upgraded.
He assured that the government will also provide relief to textile industries and an appropriate subsidy will be given to the exporters, and they will get electricity without additional charges. He further said Pakistan is going to sign a new free trade agreement (FTA) with China, Turkey, Thailand and Korea in the beginning of 2016.
He said the issue of withholding tax will be presented to the Federal Minister, Ishaq Dar. At the end, the senior- vice president Mian Atta Shafi Tanvir Shaikh presented the sign of the chamber to the Minister.The member of Punjab Assembly, Rana Mahmood-ul- Hassan, also attended the meeting.
