National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Commerce on Monday discussed in detail matters pertaining to export and trade development in the country.
Committee Chairman MNA Siraj Muhammad Khan chaired the meeting which was attended by a majority of the committee members at the regional office of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP). TDAP Director General Sher Afgan Khan briefed the meeting on the working, targets and achievements of the TDAP.
The NA Standing Committee meeting agreed that load shedding duration for agriculture and industrial sector should be reduced to the lowest possible level, while subsidised electricity should be provided with parity to industrial and trade sectors across Pakistan.
The meeting decided that Export Development Fund would be utilised to accommodate the businessmen. It was also decided that participation of members of the NA Standing Committee on Commerce should be ensured in the conferences and exhibitions held abroad for promotion of Pakistani products.
The meeting also agreed that the review of Trade Policy 2012-15 must be conducted in a proper manner.
Later, talking to media, Chairman Siraj Muhammad Khan expressed serious concerns over the absence of relevant officials of the Ministry of Commerce in the meeting, adding that agenda of the meeting could not be discussed thoroughly without participation of the concerned officials.
To a question, he said that the country’s economic development hinged on substantial increase in the country’s export volume.
“No country can attain economic development without paying greater attention towards its exports and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),” the committee chairman said.
Siraj Muhammad Khan stressed the need for more speedy and effective measures for generation of electricity and for revival of the industrial sector, besides making Pakistani merchandise competitive in the international markets.
“We have also assessed and reviewed implementation on the matters and decisions taken in the previous meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce,” he added.