PCMEA proposes authority for export sector facilitation

LAHORE-The Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PCMEA) has asked the government to establish an authority comprising focal persons of export sectors, foreign embassies, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and other related departments to remove barriers to exports, explore new markets, accessing them and effective advertising and marketing.
“It is very difficult for a country of a 250 million population to run with the current volume of exports, government patronage alongwith a long-term policy to promote exports is also inevitable,” PCMEA Vice Chairman Usman Ashraf stated this in the Association’s weekly review meeting here Sunday. The CTI (Carpet Training Institute) Chairperson Ijazur Rehman, senior central leader Abdul Latif Malik, senior member Riaz Ahmed, Saeed Khan, Major (retd) Akhtar Nazir, Shahid Hasan Sheikh, Umair Usman and others were also present.
Usman Ashraf said that the government, through the facilitation council, is trying to remove the red tape in the way of foreign investment and Pakistan’s export sectors also require the same strategy for the promotion of exports. “All the stakeholders should be taken into confidence in formulation of policy for the promotion of exports in the future, so that a policy draft can be prepared which can yield positive results,” he added.
He said that exporters were facing problems due to fluctuation in dollar exchange rates and the cost of production is increasing due to expensive labour and other reasons. The recently held International Expo is likely to lead to large-scale export deals, but due to the continued depreciation of the dollar, exporters are reluctant to sign contracts, he maintained. He said that at present there is a very tough competition in the world in terms of quality and prices and in terms of quality, Pakistan’s hand-made carpets have a unique identity. The government should keep the dollar at a level so that export contracts are not affected, he concluded.