SIALKOT: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive SM Muneer has said that the Sialkot exporters have been playing an instrumental role in strengthening and boosting of the country’s exports by earning precious foreign exchange and they were in dire need of encouragement and patronization by the government. He said that the TDAP would help and encourage the Sialkot exporters at every level, enabling them to enhance the national exports, as the TDAP would ensure the easy access of Sialkot exporters to the international markets.
He stated this while addressing an important meeting of Sialkot’s all the main trade bodies held at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Thursday. SCCI President Fazal Jillani, SVP Mir Alamgir Meyer, Group Leader Riazud Din Sheikh, Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Younas and Assistant Director TDAP Sialkot Ghazal Akbar were also present on this occasion. M .Muneer revealed that TDAP would help the Sialkot exporters to promote the exports of the non-traditional export products globally, urging the Sialkot exporters to focus on non-traditional export products, saying that the non-traditional export products could have a great potential, besides, paving the way for Sialkot exporters to explore and capture the new international trade markets.
He revealed that Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will develop and promote export holistically, through focus, synergy, and with collective wisdom and counsel of its stakeholders. In addition to aggressive , innovative, and proactive marketing and promotional efforts, it will achieve the objective of rapid export growth through interaction and coordination with respective public and private–sector stakeholders, and enhancing value of products and services by broadening the export base of our products; enhancing capability and capacity of the supply base of goods and services; by fostering supportive export culture and facilitation; and by encouraging export oriented foreign investment and joint ventures.
TDAP will also help improve market access through advising the government on matters of trade diplomacy and promoting the “business” image of Pakistan in the key export markets for Pakistani products and services, the world over, he added.
Sialkot exporters urged the TDAP to evolve an effective direly needed mechanism for the “proper” use of the Export Development Fund (EDF), which was meant for the promotion and development of country’s export sector.
They told the visiting chief executive of TDAP that the Sialkot exporters deposit Rs 450 million annually as Export Development Fund (EDF). Thus, they deserve for all the EDF-related incentives for the promotion and enhancement in Sialkot exports. They pointed out that Sialkot’s export-oriented industries were being ignored regarding distribution of EDF due to the prolonged lacked mechanism.
Sialkot exporters also demanded a special package of trade relative incentives by TDAP especially the direly needed research and development funds for upgrading and modernizing the export-oriented industries of Sialkot.
Chief Executive of TDAP SM Muneer revealed that TDAP was evolving effective trade-boosting strategy to flourish and promote trade abroad and to boom up national exports by taking the exporters into confidence, saying that the TDAP was also striving to promote “soft image” of Pakistan globally for opening the trade promotional ways and for bringing maximum foreign investment in Pakistan, as the hectic efforts were on the rebuild the confidence of the foreign investors, in this regard.
Sialkot exporters added the advanced manufacturing and production technologies should immediately be brought in Pakistan from abroad for developing and boosting these industries in the larger national interest.
Sialkot business community urged the government to make some effective and positive measures for ensuring the continuity of the government’s effective and positive economical, industrial and trade policies for strengthening the national economy and promotion of sustainable trade activities in the country. The government’s encouragement and patronization was also vital for country’s business community which could also help business community in playing its pivotal role in pulling out the national economy from the stressful condition, besides, strengthening the national economy through increasing the exports.
