KARACHI, March 18: Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan has said it is highly imperative to vigorously focus and pursue plans and policies towards trade and transport facilitation related areas to become competitive enough to meet the future global trade challenges.

He was speaking as chief guest at the inauguration of a day-long Pakistan Trade and Transport Facilitation Conference 2006 here on Saturday. The moot was organized by the National Trade and Transport Facilitation Committee, National Trade Corridor Improvement Programme.

Mr Khan said that Pakistan was fully aware of these challenges and dilated upon in detail the steps being taken to compete in the global trade era.

“It is imperative that Pakistani producers and exporters manufacture products that are cost-effective and meet international standards and competition as well,” he emphasised.

“If we don’t have the required technology and if our ports and transport systems are not efficient, we will not be able to compete.”

The minister said it was in the interest of Pakistan to look into the outlying issues to be able to compete internationally and it was here where focus would have to be put on infrastructure, policies, legislation and players like the private sector to make plans and investment with greater emphasis on industrial and agriculture sectors.

Mr Khan pointed out that in the past the people who were pursuing transport and trade projects did produce some good things like simplified procedures, customs facilitations, etc. At present, he continued, amendments, legislation and new laws were coming up and were in place, besides some significant moves at the international level.

He observed that the trade forwarding sector is working hard in terms of code of conduct, training and security initiative. “If we would not pursue the initiatives, it would result in delays and affect the cost factor,” he pointed out and said that Pakistan had taken initiatives by way of prompt security clearance of consignments enabling cargo to go through to US Ports.

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Mohammed Saeed said that an efficient transport system equipped with modern tools and harmonized procedures played an important role in the economic development of the country.

“In other words, it is an instrument to measure the level of development of the country.” The FPCCI chief said in today’s age of standards and competitiveness, a good quality and efficient transport system was inevitable for global exportability.

He said that it had been observed that delay in consignment not only distorted customer-buyers relationship but also affected the cost competitiveness. He pointed out that due to poor infrastructure and improper handling of cargo, the goods and commodities arrived late at the port and were further delayed due to cumbersome custom procedures, which auxiliary amplified the cost of production. “Similarly, about 20 to 30 per cent of our perishable foodstuff goes waste due to non-availability of communication network, particularly in remote areas. There is an urgent need to develop necessary infrastructure.—APP