F.P. Report
SUKKUR: At per the directions of Ministry of Commerce Islamabad, TDAP organized a Stakeholder Consultative Session for Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2018-23 at Sukkur. President Sukkur Chamber of Commerce & Industry along with members of export committee, members from Khairpur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, traders, exporters and growers of Sukkur region participated in the stakeholder consultative session.
Muhammad Farooq Memon, Director TDAP Karachi gave a detail presentation regarding “Strategic Trade Policy Framework”. He discussed in detail the objectives of Strategic Trade Policy Framework 2018-23 and reasons for outreach exercise in Sukkur.
Abdul Fatah Shaikh, President Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry during his address said that in order to maximize the exports of Pakistan, it is necessary that the government may control the unnecessary imports of Pakistan and unrealistic/ hidden export taxes may also the stopped.
The exports procedure should also be simple and easy. Mr. Israr Bhatti, General Secretary, Sukkur Chamber of Commerce & Industry emphasized that TDAP may provide international exposure to the exporters of Sukkur region.
He further said the date exporters of Sukkur region needs TDAP support for dry port in Sukkur. TDAP may support the exporters of Sukkur region to develop brands. He requested TDAP to provide a software of international buyers to Sukkur Chamber of Commerce & Industry for facilitation of exporters of Sukkur. Mr. Raees Ghulam Hassan Chachar, Senior Vice President, Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Sukkur during his address said that in Pakistan dates should also be subsidized like other crops Cotton, Rice and Wheat.
The growers, exporters and traders in their proposals said that Government should provide relief to them and emphasized to strengthen the Agriculture Research Institutes in Sindh. TDAP should have meetings with Agriculture Research Institute in Sukkur region.
There is need of Dates Processing Unit, Dates byproducts, manufacturing plants and tissue culture laboratories in Sukkur region. To eliminate the middle man, there should be a direct link of buyer and farmers.
Ghulam Qasim Jiskani, a progressive grower a Khairpur district in his address said that our target should be specific. Farmers need to cultivate the international quality standards crops to increase the exports. Farmer is suffering in Pakistan due to insufficient credit facilities. There is need to develop a market chain in which grower should also be involved. To achieve the targets of a successful trade policy, strengthening of agricultural sector is mandatory. Growers need TDAP and Agriculture Extension Department support to cultivate international quality standards crops in Sukkur region.
TDAP may provide international exposure to the growers along with exporters. Grower may be introduced as a stakeholder in all trade policies of Pakistan. Since he provides raw material to the industry of Pakistan for domestic and international trade. Exporters were also of the view that they have limited visa for limited cities in India. TDAP may take efforts to remove the hurdle of limited visa for dry date and fresh date exporters of Sukkur region for India.
Muhammad Farooq, Director, International Marketing Division-II, TDAP Karachi answered the questions of participants of consultative session. He concluded the programme. He thanked all the participants and proposed the participants that requirements like cold storage facility, processing plant and tissue culture laboratory in Sukkur region can be fulfilled from EDF of Ministry of Commerce. But the condition is that the exporters, traders and growers of Sukkur region may provide comprehensive business planes for their requirements to TDAP.
