Shehbaz Sharif directs to achieve export target of $60b

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Ministry of Commerce and other relevant departments to take practical steps to achieve the export target of sixty billion dollars in the next three years. Chairing a meeting of National Export Development Board in Islamabad today, he said the Ministry of Commerce should finalize the policy proposals in this regard in collaboration with the sectors having export potential. He emphasized the need for research and development, innovation, and brand development to make Pakistani products unique and enhance their exports. Shehbaz Sharif directed the Ministry of Power to present a comprehensive plan to reduce the power tariff for industries. The Prime Minister also directed the trade officers in Pakistani embassies across the world to play their role in the promotion of Pakistani exports. The Prime Minister recalled the exports remained thirty billion dollars during the last fiscal year. He said IT exports exceeded 3.2 billion dollars due to government's policies, terming it a welcome development. Shehbaz Sharif said the problems identified by the exporters should be solved and a report be submitted to him in the next two weeks. Highlighting the significance of the private sector in the development of any country, he said they should be made part of policy formulation process to solve their problems. The Prime Minister said the Ministry of National Food Security should work with provinces for bringing improvement in extension services in order to increase agricultural exports. He said steps should be accelerated to introduce varieties of high yielding seeds. Shehbaz Sharif called for reducing the delivery time of Pakistani goods to Europe and America by immediately solving the problems related to the shipping of exports. He said the Ministry of Commerce should ensure cooperation with the Investment Board for the transfer of Chinese export industries to Pakistan. The Prime Minister said any kind of delay in the refund of exporters will not be tolerated. The Parti cipants of the meeting said the Prime Minister's special interest in the export sector is encouraging for industrialists. The exporters were also appreciative of the Prime Minister's initiative to provide timely refunds to the export industry. Source: Radio Pakistan