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EPB holding

world export

convention soon

RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: The Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is holding an international export convention in April or May this year, wherein all the export-related sectors including the exporters, manufacturers, the foreign buyers, Pakistani commercial counsellors abroad to jump-start and streamline the new demand for lead export strategy.

This was disclosed by Tariq Akram, State Minister and Chairman, EPB while addressing the top exporters in the head office of All Pakistan Cloth Exporters Association (APCEA) here on Wednesday night.

He said he was surprised to know that there was no rapport between the commercial attaches posted in the same region abroad and most of them were not fully aware of the potential of export products from Pakistan.

The purpose of this convention was to bring all the export segments on one platform and to provide an opportunity for discussing the ideas. He said nearly 60 percent of the commercial attaches abroad were ably performing their tasks.

"What was, however, lacking was the sense of direction and purpose which would be provided in the proposed convention," he added. He said the convention would be comprehensive and an international level exhibition of Pakistani products would also be arranged, wherein literature about different products groups of the country would be provided to the foreign buyers."

The commercial attaches have also been asked to bring at least one success story relating to their posting abroad," he said.

Dilating upon his joining the present set up, the EPB Chairman said the only consideration for him was the firm belief and experience that the good things were happening at the moment and uniform thinking was prevailing in the ruling hierarchy.

He said all the people at the helm of affairs were thinking in the same wavelength and there were no gap of understanding and communication between the rulers and the people. He said the government was fully aware of the situation confronting the business community and various problems confronted by the exporters, the manufacturers and the consumers.

Regarding hike in yarn prices, Tariq Akram said that the government was taking necessary remedial measures and an announcement in this respect would be made within a week or so.

About sale tax (ST) refund problem, the EPB chairman said that the matter was under the active consideration of the government and appropriate decision would be made very soon to ease the problems.

He said export was a vital sector of the economy. "We can print rupees not dollars," he said, adding that we have got to earn them.

The chief executive has also endorsed the importance of exports saying, "export was king pin of all economic activities and he has made a commitment with the people to bring a turnaround in the economy and this view is shared by all the segments.

He said the country has a great potential for export but what was, however, lacking was clarity of vision and understanding as well as information about the export potential. he said he was working out completely a new strategy for exports, which was not supply-lead as at present, but demand lead strategy.

Elaborating, he said currently we were exporting items, which given bumper production and become surplus in the domestic markets. "One year, we have generated sugarcane crop and we want to export sugar," next year sugar production drop down and potato and onion production became abundant and we want to export these items.

This, he said, was haphazard planning and not based on solid lines. From now onward we were not waiting for bumper crop and surplus production. We would create a regular export demand for items of production and would maintain their production and fulfil the export, targets, set for them.

This, he said, was part of a new export culture, which the government was going to generate in the country. This will be the culture of customer service and demand and not supply of surplus production.

The government, he said, was determined to draw realistic priorities and develop marketing strategies for each product group over a period of time.

Image management of the country as an exporter of certain specific items was also one of the objectives of over all strategy of export promotion, he said. The EPB chief said that Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong and Philippines were small countries with no definite export base but through proper management and strategy, they have built up their image as Asian tigers and export-oriented countries.

Earlier, Mian Mohammad Naeem Omer, Chairman, APCEA, welcoming the guest, emphasised the need for long-term planning and export policies. This, he said was vital as the export trade was planned well ahead and has longer gestation period.

He quoted the example of Malaysia with 20-year trade policy, while very few changes were made in this policy. The chairman also highlighted the problems confronted by the exporters by way of abnormal rise of 20 percent-30 percent in prices of yarn and demanded that a monthly 15 million kg may be placed on the export of yarn.

The export refinance facility on yarn should also be withdrawn, he added. He also demanded exemption of export manufacturing units having 100 workers and 70 percent export performance to be exempted from the labour laws. The APCEA chairman pointed out that 67 government organisations were collecting taxes and levies from the business community and demanded that the number of taxes and levies should be reduced to minimum to enable the exporters and businessmen to devote more attention towards promotion of business, without wasting their time and energy in dealing with the government departments.

Naeem Omer also demanded continuation of 143-B statement facility for the exporters for income tax purposes. He also demanded fixing of time limit for ST refund payment by the department.

he pointed out that the purchase invoices of exporters were not verified for long period causing delay in payment of ST refund and also blocking huge funds of exporters creating a liquidity problem for them.

Later, APCEA shield was presented to the EPB Chairman by Mohammad Arshad, former chairman, APCEA. Mian Mohammad Latif, Chaudhry Mushtaq Ali Cheema, Chaudhry Mohammad Siddique, and Sheikh Mukhtar Ahmed, former chairman, APCEA also participated in the question answer session demanding implementation on the government policies.

Earlier, the EPB chairman also had separate meetings with the office-bearers of All Pakistan Cotton Powerlooms Association and Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (North zone).