ISLAMABAD: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) has urged the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to remove Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Chief Executive for its bleak performance since the inception of holding the office.

Vice President FPCCI Riaz Khattak said Pakistan is facing swear ecnomic issues and contisully falling exports is one of the main headec for the goverment which needs to be addressed with the help of competent people in the TDAP who at least made viable export promotion policies to promote pakistan products in the potential markets.

In September 2013, the IMF estimated Pakistan’s exports would peak at $31 billion by June 2016 from that year’s level of $24.5 billion. Exports actually fell to just $20.8 billion by June 2016

As TDAP is the main body which organises international trade exhibitions and expos in Pakistan and around the world to explore new markets for Pakistani products so that the exports could be enhanced.

He said the incumbent Chief Executive TDAP has no vision how to take up the things in the current sceanio. “The competency of incharge is always jduge when the path is diffcult, in easy path every lay man may betterly perform”.

So for so CEO TDAP also by pass the Ministry of Commerce and directly connected the high ups  to intervene in his vested interest; Khattak claimed.

He also said Commerce Minister also don’t happy from the performance of CEO TDAP. The revamping of Trade Development of Authority has become a distant dream throug the Commerce Ministry’s decided to shift the TDAP’s head office to Islamabad from Karachi.but CEO TDAP SM Muneer is still resisting the decision of the ministry.

FPCCI leader further told we must understand exports of any country are considered as one of the main sources of its economy, a vital source of earning and foreign exchange. Exports play an important role in economy, influencing the level of economic growth and employment. However, when we look at the performance of Pakistan’s exports, we observe a declining trend. On the other hand, those developing countries that also started their development process at the same time as Pakistan, are far ahead of us.

Apart of poor performance, other reasons were also behind this poor performance i.e energy crisis, the tariff policy and a tight monetary policy. These factors spoil the export competitiveness. Now, to strengthen and stimulating exports, the government must take measures like reviving zero rating of exports, release fund to exporters and also need to overcome the energy crisis.

Riaz Khattak demanded the government should improve the regional trade agreement and should avail the opportunity of Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) plus status.

It’s time government should also take necessary steps to reduce energy shortages and export allowances should be given to the Export Processing Zones. “These are the earliest measure that should be taken in order to minimise the negative impact of external debt on export performance in the country,” He further said goveremnt is now deraling from its core issues, now economy was not the focus of the government, despite its claims, and remains fully occupied with political issues.

Senate Standing Committee on Commerce had also expressed serious reservations on the performance of TDAP earlier. The committee was of the view that TDAP has failed to highlight Pakistani products in different market. It is better this organisation should be closed as it has become the burden on the government exchequer