ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) unveiled a comprehensive National Priority Sectors Export Strategy (NPSES) to achieve country’s ambition of growing its trade. It was launched by Federal Minister for Commerce, Syed Naveed Qamar. Five-year (2023-2027) sector strategies are result of a consultative process between public and private-sector stakeholders.

NPSES addresses constraints and specific steps to avail concrete opportunities in a comprehensive manner and are an integral part of Pakistan’s Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF). NPSES provides Pakistan with a set of sectoral and functional strategies, each specifying priorities and actions to improve trade performance. Implementing these strategies would mean strengthening and diversifying Pakistan’s economy, more jobs, higher investment opportunities and improved competitiveness of exports.

International Trade Centre (ITC) worked with government of Pakistan with financial support from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of UK government, through Revenue Mobilisation, Investment and Trade Programme (ReMIT) to support development of National Priority Sectors Export Strategy. Engineering goods, leather, processed food and beverages, fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry, pharmaceuticals, software development and services, business process outsourcing, logistics and institutional coordination are priority sectors and functions in strategy.

To continue keeping private sector in driving seat for implementation process, National Export Development Board, Sector Advisory Councils, as well as a STPF coordination unit are being set up. Naveed Qamar said export was top priority for Pakistan. He said government had taken a series of initiatives to promote exports to achieve sustainable and inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction and improvement in living standard of people. Andrew Dalgleish, British Acting High Commissioner said that FCDO was proud to support programmes like ReMIT that focus on supporting Pakistan to strengthen institutional capacity for trade policy formulation and to address trade barriers. Dr Muhammad Saeed Chief Trade Facilitation and Policy for Business, International Trade Centre said, “Driven by quality and innovation, strategy and attendant work plan will strengthen international presence of Pakistani products from priority sectors.

Through development of Pakistan’s National Priority Sectors Export Strategy and capacity building of Ministry of Commerce, Federal Board of Revenue, Trade Development Authority, National Trade Facilitation Committee and business associations and groups, programme will support formulation and reform of trade policies, including addressing some of main barriers to trade.

Published in The Daily National Courier, August, 20 2022

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