ISLAMABAD: Language is a main hurdle for Pakistani exporters to compete in the Central Asian markets.
Languages including, Turkmen, Uzbek, Qazaq (Kazakh), Kyrgyz and Russian are widely spoken and understood in the Central Asian countries and are drastically different from English, Urdu or local languages of Pakistan. Similarly, these languages are also written in Russian style or dialect.
“Our exporters, traders and even truckers face enormous difficulty in proper communication with traders and security officials of CARs during their entourage to these countries,” said a senior official of the Commerce Ministry on condition of anonymity.
The official urged the government to set up faculties of different languages in educational institutions to overcome this hurdle as it would pay in the long run in the shape of enhanced foreign exchanged in result of higher Pakistani trade as well as exports to Central Asia.
The official said that as Pakistani traders would enter in Afghanistan with their trade convoys they were supposed to pay extortion to local Afghan landlords and warlords to pass safely through their areas.
“There is no chance of escaping from payment of this amount to these people, as without making this payment no truck loaded with trade goods can pass through those areas,” the official said adding, “But, payment of extortion to Afghan tribal elders makes Pakistani exporters inefficient to compete in the markets because the paid amount as extortion increases the cost of products.”
The official urged the government to take up the issue with the Afghan government to provide a sigh of relief to Pakistani exporters and to enable them to compete in the Central Asian markets.
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