PM for boosting exports of non-traditional goods

Tells officials to set targets for foreign trade attaches, monitor their performance

ISLAMABAD:

The government is extending all possible facilities to exporters and there is a need to promote exports of non-traditional goods, said Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Chairing a meeting to review Pakistan’s export performance on Wednesday, he called for enhancing focus on countries where Pakistani products were in high demand.

He told meeting participants to fix targets for trade attaches in Pakistani embassies abroad and examine their performance so they could work for enhancing exports.

The prime minister was told that value-added exports surged $3.8 billion in fiscal year 2020-21 while non-traditional goods exports soared $2.7 billion owing to government’s investment-friendly policies and incentives given to the exporters.

Officials of the Ministry of Commerce told the meeting that textile goods were traditional exports of Pakistan but the government was taking steps to enhance shipments of non-traditional items as well like minerals, food products, fruits, IT and ceramics.

Rwad Poultry, livestock exports to Afghanistan allowed

Meeting on agri-sector

Chairing a separate meeting on the development of agriculture sector, the prime minister said that introducing innovation in agriculture and ensuring prosperity of farmers were among top priorities of the government.

“For the first time in history, a comprehensive strategy has been developed for the improvement of agriculture sector,” he said. “Agricultural Transformation Plan is the first step towards food autonomy.”

During the meeting, it was highlighted that a food security dashboard had been fully activated for wheat.

The dashboard contains demand and supply indicators at tehsil, district, division, province and national levels. The dashboard will help the government monitor prices and procurement, and will aid it in timely decision-making.

The meeting was informed that after wheat, sugar and other food commodities would be added to the dashboard. Participants were told that these measures were aimed at staving off food crisis in future.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2021.

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