ISLAMABAD: While terming GSP plus status as great achievement of the incumbent regime, Member of NA Panel on Commerce Alhaj Shah Jee Gul Afridi said that clinching of this status would usher new era of growth by boosting industrialization and creating job opportunities in Pakistan.
The European Union (EU) had granted Generalized System of Preference (GSP) plus status to Pakistan from January 1, 2014 by waiving off duties which is expected to increase exports in the range of $1 billion per annum.
“We have achieved GSP plus after hectic efforts and lobbying which will go a long way in boosting Pakistani exports,” the member of National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce Gul Afridi said in an exclusive interview with Customs Today.
He added that the GSP plus also showed the level confidence being posed by the international community on the incumbent regime.
“Look at the scope of GSP status, which is vast, benefits are enormous and it has been certainly achieved after hectic efforts and lobbying that will go a long way in boosting the local industry and national exports,” he added.
The member of NA Panel said that China had bought two sick textile units lying idle in Karachi since long, adding that it was expected that now quality clothes would be manufactured there which would result into increasing exports.
Dwelling upon industrial development and boosting exports, he said that the government was introducing revolutionary policies which would yield positive results for the economy as well as providing benefits to the business class in months ahead. “I, myself as an automobile trader, am quite confident the policies of government will benefit the businessmen,” he maintained.
He praised the work done by the Commerce Ministry and said that the government was working on regional connectivity especially with Central Asian Republics (CARs).
“Certainly, we will strive hard for an agreement with the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) to facilitate such an arrangement in the near future,” he envisioned, adding that such an agreement would materialise the dream for boosting exports of agriculture products to CARs into a reality.
Afridi expressed his satisfaction over the performance of the NA Standing Committee on Commerce, saying that the committee had been constituted by merging two committees – commerce and textile, but now again it was separated and the Commerce Committee would function with more vigor and enthusiasm.
About electricity crisis, the Standing Committee member said that the energy crisis had hit backbone of the industry and trade, adding that the incumbent government was taking concrete steps to overcome the lingering power outages.
He said that the government had initiated a number of steps including coal and solar projects on war footings and hopeful the crisis would be overcome to great extent in the next three years.
He claimed that the government policies had resulted in building confidence of the investors due to which overall revenue collection had been increased. “Look once you are willing to go all out and control the damage through multi-pronged strategy, you definitely get the confidence revived and the government is doing the same,” he lauded.
Talking about Gwadar, the lawmaker from Fata said that Gwadar was being linked through railways track with Hawailian and work had been initiated on the project.
He informed that survey had been completed for Kashgar-Gwadar railways link, adding that China had been extending all-out support and assistance for the development of Gwadar.
Afridi claimed that said that if the government reformed the tax system and imposed right kind of taxes there would be no need for obtaining loans from IMF or any other financial institution.
