“Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Federal Adviser on Textiles, has prepared a comprehensive report for the President, who will chair an important meeting between the EU and Pakistan. Baig, in a statement, said in his meetings with the officials of the EU Commission and ambassadors of France, Italy, Germany, UK, Turkey and the Netherlands, they all supported the EU in considering duty-free market access for Pakistani products. ..Baig said that presently there is 13 per cent customs duty on Pakistani textile products and after getting duty-free status from the EU, the export of garments and made-ups would considerably increase. ..He explained that to get GSP-plus status for duty-free access to the EU, total exports from Pakistan to the EU should not be more than 1 per cent of total imports of the EU. ..“But our present exports to the EU are 1.48 per cent of total EU imports.” Presently, Indian exports to EU are 6.5 per cent, Vietnam 2.2 per cent, Egypt 1.07 per cent, Mexico 1.6 per cent and Bangladesh 2.26 per cent. In a meeting of the Advisory Panel of Economists of the Planning Commission at the Presidency on Tuesday, President Zardari said that efforts were afoot to persuade the international community, particularly the US and the EU, to allow greater market access to Pakistan to boost employment and economic activity in the country. ..The President informed advisory panel that he had raised this matter during his visit to the US, UK and France with the leadership of these countries and British prime minister had even written a personal letter to the EU to take up this matter on priority basis at the forthcoming summit in Brussels on June 17. He said that France President Sarkozi and the US leadership had also assured him of help to Pakistan in this matter. ..Dr Baig said that French Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan informed that the EU was considering giving duty free market access to Pakistani products particularly textile “as we acknowledge the efforts of Pakistan in this difficult time.” .
Date:5/28/2009
Source:The International News