Mr. Suleman Chawla, Acting President FPCCI; while welcoming the fourteen designated officers from different occupational groups posted in Overseas Pakistan Missions as Consul Generals, Ministers, Consulars and Attachés to represent trade, investment, export and import interests of Pakistan; said that FPCCI would like to provide aspects of trade and investment opportunities with respect to their country of posting.
He further said that some of the officers will take charge in European Union, ECO, SCO, ICCIA-OIC, SAARC, USA and China; which are very significant for our export interests and bilateral trade.
Mr. Suleman Chawla assured the visiting overseas posted officers that we will be able to provide the officers guidance out of our practical and consolidated available inputs as how and where the trade impedes; and, what would be the solution to accelerate. Therefore, they should benefit from the inputs of private sector; for which they need to consider making communication groups and provide the information from the country of their posting on continuous basis; endeavoring for the possible increase in exports to their destinations of posting.
Acting FPCCI Chief further said that the foreign economic diplomacy and efficiency is important in managing the desired results and the missions; while some with peculiar situations are available as marketable destinations – which must be exploited by the designated officers in their country of posting.
He added that European Union GSP+ since 2014 needs to be retained up to 2024; and, the preferential treatment and its possible improvement through the mutually recognized positions on national standards may be a walk through for ensuring the sustainability of growth of trade with EU.
He said that EU is about a $10 billion market; and, but only a few countries from the bloc are contributing to this figure; while EU is composed of 27 countries. Hence, the trade representatives of Pakistan must also understand as what reasons can construct the further incremental exports in 27 countries bloc.
Mr. Suleman Chawla said that we can work out the weaknesses for converting into our possible strengths to increase the trade with Turkey; and, help in materializing the barter trades between Pakistan and Afghanistan by understanding the circumstances surrounding the trade conducting issues in the given geopolitical situation. He further said that we have also bilateral investment treaties with some of the countries in which the officers are being posted; therefore, the investment side can also be put to research as why we are slow in gaining the investments.
Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo, immediate past President of FPCCI, in specific informed about the slow response against the difficulties in the bilateral barter trade; and, gave examples that while other countries remain welcoming in regard of conducting bilateral trades; but, Pakistan remains full of problems from the central bank in respect of facilitating the exports. He also informed the visiting delegates that FPCCI is member of various international organizations such as CACCI, ICCIA, ECO CCI, SAARC CCI, D-8 CCI, SCO Business Council and Commonwealth Business Council; which can be a source of providing a lot of information to the posted officers.
Talking on the occasion, Mr. Qamar uz Zaman, leading the delegation said that we are aware of the requirements of our country to be helped by all modes and means including suggestions by private sector to ensure that the targets of growth set by government are strived to be achieved with the assistance of overseas posted officers in various countries.
Engr. M. A. Jabbar, VP FPCCI, said that FPCCI is in process of recommending to the government that KPIs should be set for the officers being posted overseas; and, 5 percent minimum growth of exports for respective countries from Pakistan may not be a big task. He added that we also wish to recommend that exports’ increase of up to 10 percent should be in the following year of the posting; and, subsequently their performance evaluation on aggregate basis should be the part history of their reports for their subsequent postings and vertical promotions. He said that since twenty years, Pakistan is caught by 10 x 10 syndrome, i.e. 10 destinations with 10 products. He said that the visiting delegates of 14 officers posted in countries aggregate to export figure of about $15 billion; which is approximately 45 percent of Pakistan’s total exports and approximately 45 percent of Pakistan’s total imports. He said that the situation of unbreakable 10 x 10 syndrome stays almost the same; which reasons for employment of hard work by the officers being posted overseas.
Commenting upon each country of the posting, he said that the representatives in Afghanistan have to bring back the trade figures to historical $4 billion trade with Afghanistan. He also advised the officers being posted to Afghanistan to suggest the barter trade mechanism to ensure the sustainable trade; which is a challenge for the concerned officer.
On trade with Russia, he said the under the peculiar situation caught in between clarity and non-clarity of country’s foreign policy, still the role of trade officer in Russia can be influencing; and, advisory to improve the mutual trade relationship between Pakistan and Russian.
Mr. Shabbir Hassan Mansha, VP FPCCI, said that the bilateral trade and its success is contingent upon research and advisory role of the officers posted in various countries and he advised the officers to look forward to the availability of trainings and technical assistance offers to help with the capacity building; enabling the country to be responsive to the demands of the international markets.
Mr. Amjad Rafi, veteran businessman, apprised that increasing the trade between Pakistan and Turkey; and emphasized on using the transit routes allowed by TIR. He informed that $98 billion transit trade flows through Iran while we face difficulties from our central bank in his respect. He also informed that a good precedent has been established that land-based trade from Pakistan to Turkey has already commenced.