The Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA) on Sunday said that workers remittances could cross the mark of dollar 20 billion in the ongoing fiscal year.
“We are highly satisfied with the government and the initiatives of State Bank of Pakistan and other stakeholders which has led to continued growth in workers remittances despite global downturn and oil crisis,” said Chairman of Poepa Ch Muhammad Afzal.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he said Pakistan was gaining ground in the global remittance market for which credit also went to the unprecedented cooperation by embassies of friendly countries, especially that of Saudi Arabia. Afzal said the government should recognise the services of all the actors playing part in improving remittances while banks should further improve their services to offer better services to overseas Pakistanis.
He lauded the steps taken to enhance flow of remittances through legal channels including preparation and implementation of national strategy on remittances, advisory role for the financial sector and efficient payment highways. “We must learn more from policies of other countries to ease flow of remittances resulting in maximum satisfaction of both remitters and beneficiaries, improved commitment of the financial sector, and development of new products and services,” he underlined.
Reducing the cost of remittances could also facilitate more inflows which will boost economy while discouraging illegal business of hundi and hawala, he noted. He said that Poepa would unconditionally cooperate with the government and all agencies concerned to achieve the desired objective of maximising the flow of remittances through formal channels into the country which was the best recipe for development.
