Stakeholders to be consulted on PTA

Commerce adviser directs ministry to consult all on trade deal with Uzbekistan

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood on Tuesday directed the Ministry of Commerce to consult all stakeholders while reviewing the progress being made between Pakistan and Uzbekistan on the proposed preferential trade agreement (PTA).

The adviser gave directives for consulting with the private sector stakeholders and companies trading with Uzbekistan and for reviewing the situation on the ground before finalising Pakistan’s “request lists”, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce.

Dawood also held a consultative meeting on the progress made on the Pakistan-Uzbekistan PTA.

The commerce secretary and other officials of the ministry were present in the meeting.

The PM aide was apprised that sector-specific webinars would be organised by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) over the next two weeks to complete the process.

He was informed that seminars would be arranged by TDAP in Karachi and Lahore to apprise the business community of the PTA.

The adviser was briefed that Uzbekistan had shared its request list for tariff reduction and the commerce ministry was in the process of finalising Pakistan’s request list in consultation with the public and private sector stakeholders.

He was told that the input of private sector, ministries and departments concerned had been obtained via detailed consultations in the past three months.