MULTAN, Feb Ist: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Ministry of Commerce, organised a Consultative Session with the stakeholders in Multan to seek their proposals for the formulation of Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2018-23. Zia Ahmed , Director (SRO), TDAP, chaired the session. The representatives of All Pakistan Bedsheet & Upholstry Manufacturers Association Women chambers of Commerce & Industry, Multan and Associations of Trade & Industry, attended the Session and deliberated on the upcoming STPF 2018-23. Zia Ahmed Director TDAP elaborated that in the upcoming STPF, Ministry of Commerce is devising the medium term trade policy for the period of five years so that trade could benefit from the incentives announced in STPF 2018-23. The major focus of STPF would be upon boosting exports in the Services Sector, Export Competitiveness and investment Linkages, particularly attraction of FDI in the Export related Industry and integration of local industry into global value chain. He further added that the objective of organizing the consultative sessions across the country with business community, think tanks and academia is to deliberate on existing STPF 2015-18, point out its loopholes, and identify current issues from stakeholder’s viewpoint. He emphasized upon the stakeholders for timely giving their concrete proposals based upon proper research of markets and data, for their consideration by Ministry of Commerce and incorporation of the same in the upcoming Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF) 2018-23.Director TDAP Multan Khan Muhammad stressed the need for maintaining the quality ansd standard of their products to stay in international markets,In his welcome address Syed Muhammad Aasim Shah Chairman of APBUMA said that none of the previous strategic frameworks had come even close to meeting their targets because of wide implementation gaps, non-payment of refunds, exobitant taxation, crisis of energy, deny to resolve the problems of exporters.He said that Government failed to supply well-germinated certified seed of cotton to growers to enhance the cotton production to the level of 15 million bales, He said that Indian exports had gone to $ 276 billion dollars but we failed to achieve the target of even $ 25 billion.He suggested that Government should introduce one-window operation system for local and foreign investors.Chairperson of WCCI Madam Filza Mumtaz,Khawaja Muhammad Farooq,Hussain Haider, Jawad Hussain, Tajdin Mansha and others
