The presidents of various chambers across the country on Saturday urged the government to focus on regional trade to significantly increase the country’s exports. They urged to remove trade barriers with neighbouring countries. Increasing exports to Iran and Central Asian countries should be part of the government’s priority agenda. They urged for effective lobbying in regional groups like ASEAN and ECO, new markets to explore for Pakistani products, especially textiles.
Speaking at the session on promoting regional trade at the All Pakistan Chambers Presidents Conference hosted by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), former FPCCI President Zubair Ahmed Malik stated that out of Pakistan’s total $25 billion in exports, $20 billion was going to Western countries. The remaining $5 billion is exported to the rest of the world. All stakeholders, including the government, need to work with comprehensive planning to access markets like Central Asian countries, he said.
The urged the government to first identify countries where there is demand for Pakistani goods and then work with a coordinated policy. Pakistani embassies in these countries should be mobilized and special envoys should be sent to improve coordination between the government and the private sector, he said and added that Azerbaijan and other Central Asian countries could be significant markets for Pakistan’s textiles.
ICCI President Ahsan Bhaktawari said that in modern times, regions were developing rather than individual countries. The European Union and ASEAN are examples before us, he said and added that for our region, platforms like SAARC, ECO, and SCO were existing but unfortunately, they had not been effective due to India’s obstinacy. He expressed concern over the recent decline in mutual trade volume with Afghanistan and urged the government to take steps to address the issue.
President Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Kashif Anwar stated that the long-term solution to Pakistan’s economic problems lied in increasing exports. Until dollars flow into Pakistan, our issues cannot be resolved, he expressed.
President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh called on the government to remove barriers to trade with regional countries. Road, rail and air links should be improved. Joint platforms under government sponsorship should be formed to enhance coordination between the government and the private sector, he said.
President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Dr. Khurram Tariq urged the government to ensure electricity supply to the industry at competitive regional tariffs to boost Pakistani exports. We will only be able to sell Pakistani products globally when there is a significant increase in large-scale and medium-scale manufacturing locally, he added.
