Expo Pakistan – an exercise in futility: MoC

KARACHI – The Ministry of Commerce (MoC), in a shocking decision, has asked the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to halt arrangements of the international expo, which was scheduled for next month. The TDAP had completed arrangements for the exhibition, which is held every year at Karachi Expo Center. The directives of the Commerce secretary terming Expo Pakistan as a futile exercise has stunned the authority, Pakistan Today learnt on Thursday.
The secretary has also asked TDAP to organise only commodity vise exhibitions in the country as the international expo was not fulfilling expectations. The decision of ministry has halted the remaining preparation of the sixth Expo Pakistan, including booking of stalls and other arrangements for local and foreign visitors of the exhibition. Though all activities regarding the expo have come to a complete stop, the authority was yet to change the publicity campaign through its official website. Expo Pakistan, considered as the largest international trade exhibition of Pakistan, aimed at generating business worth millions of dollars, was being held regularly for the last six years. It is inexplicable that the decision from the ministry came at the eleventh hour as a large number of foreign visitors/buyers had also confirmed their visit to the exhibition. In addition, arrangements for the publicity of the mega event had also been finalised. Sources said that the ministry had decided to stop the exhibition due to its high cost and meager profits/output. Earlier, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) had demanded the ministry to give charge of the expo to FPCCI, claiming that similar bodies were holding such events worldwide. The last few years have seen a slide in foreign buyers/ importers interest in the exhibition. This is largely due to the deteriorating law and order situation and political uncertainty surrounding the country. Though TDAP had claimed the arrival of around 500 foreign visitors from over 50 countries, sources claimed, majority of the people were only visitors who did not make an order to the domestic products. However, the former chief of the authority stated that exporters had fetched orders worth $80 million during the Expo 2010.