Senate panel reviews export performance

According to Dawn, a Senate standing committee on commerce reviewed the country's export performance on Tuesday, at a time when export proceeds have been falling. The panel, chaired by Anusha Rahman, went through trade figures, export promotion steps, representation in China, investment obstacles and agricultural trade.

The head of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Faiz Ahmed, told the panel that his body is frequently faulted whenever shipments fail to grow, and argued that growth depends on production costs, power tariffs and financing rates. Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan supported this view, saying his ministry keeps sending policy proposals to the government and had urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to pursue reciprocal incentives. He added that export competitiveness cannot improve without fixing the underlying cost and investment environment.

During the last fiscal year, TDAP took part in 91 international exhibitions, and 11 delegations travelled abroad to develop new markets. The committee was also told that Pakistan currently has preferential trade arrangements with 93 countries.