LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has welcomed EU Parliament’s International Trade Committee move to grant duty-free market access to Pakistan that would help give considerable boost to exports and create new jobs in the country.
In a statement issued here, LCCI President Engineer Sohail Lashari, Senior Vice President Mian Tariq Misbah and Vice President Kashif Anwar said that approval of GSP-Plus status to Pakistan by a high-powered European Parliamentary Committee has proved all international conventions relating to human and labour rights, environment and good governance, implemented by the Pakistan to the satisfaction of the European Parliament.
“The European Parliament is considering the GSP-Plus status for 10 developing countries in all and is granted to those countries that ratify and implement international conventions,” he said.
The LCCI office-bearers said that exporters from various industries in Pakistan were anxiously hoping for access to European markets, which promises huge potential for multiplying the country’s current exports. They said that grant of European Union’s GSP+ to Pakistan will create a million jobs for Pakistani youth and boost exports by $500 million.