EU concessions unlikely to be permanent

Converting the one-time trade concessions for Pakistani textile exports into a longer term measure looks difficult.

KARACHI: The possibility of converting the one-time trade concessions granted to Pakistani textile exports into a longer term measure looks difficult at the moment, said Sajjad Karim, the founder and chairman of the Friends of Pakistan committee in the European Parliament.

However, he did add that it could be achieved if Pakistan continued to build on the groundwork done by its delegation which recently visited some important European capitals.

Karim, who is also a member of the European Parliament, also reaffirmed his continued support for helping Pakistan gain greater market access to the EU.

He said this while addressing a luncheon meeting hosted in his honour by the Pakistan Business Council, a private sector business policy think-tank funded by 28 leading business groups.

Karim highlighted the options that were being debated in Brussels for granting Pakistan a one-off, time-bound access to the EU markets for its textiles. This one-time concession was being given to help mitigate the colossal losses caused by recent floods and is part of the EU’s efforts to rehabilitate the flood-ravaged economy.

Shabbir Diwan, a PBC member who accompanied the foreign minister to Brussels, spoke of the goodwill that existed in the EU towards Pakistan, especially in the wake of the floods.

Abdul Razzak Dawood, the former minister for commerce, stated that the domestic industry needs to help the government develop a stronger case for greater market access. He suggested that other trade associations should partner with the PBC to help substantiate the case for a long-term access to the EU markets.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2010.