ISLAMABAD - President Mamnoon Hussain has emphasised the need for providing state-of-the-art and best possible facilities to the exporters at the dry ports to ensure prompt delivery of export orders and enable the exporters to take optimum benefit from the trade concessions offered by the international community to the country. The timely delivery of export orders, the President said, has become the essential feature of the global trade and urged for more vigorous steps and initiatives to boost country’s exports.
The President said this while speaking to a delegation of Sialkot Dry Port Trust which called on him at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday. The delegation headed by Mohammad Ishaque Butt, Chairman Sialkot Dry Port Trust and Chairman All Pakistan Dry Ports Association included among others Khawaja Muhammad Younus, Chairman, Multan Dry Port Trust, Dr. Mohammad Aslam Dar, Chairman, Committee of Small Industrial Estates/EPZ, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Mohammad Khalid Butt, Secretary General, All Pakistan Dry Ports Association and General Manager, Sialkot Dry Port Trust.
The President underscored the important role of the business community and exporters in the ongoing economic turnaround of the country and called upon them to step up efforts and complement government’s measures to fully exploit the geo-strategic location of the country and take benefit from the liberal incentive packages being offered by the government for export promotion and attracting foreign and domestic investment in various sectors.
Commenting on various challenges confronting the business community, the President said that the government was fully alive to the problems and concerns of the businessmen and all possible steps are being taken at fast track basis to provide an enabling and conducive environment for robust trade and investment in the country. Referring to the recent turnaround in various sectors of the economy, the President said that due to corrective measures and business policies of the government, economic indicators are showing positive trends and the confidence of both domestic and foreign investors is also being restored.
Highlighting the important role played by dry ports in handling imports and exports, the President observed that Sialkot Dry Port Trust is pre-dominantly engaged in exports and appreciated the services rendered by country’s exporters by earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.
The President said that Sialkot Dry Port Trust, being cargo handler and freight forwarder has important role to play in the export promotion and urged SDPT to take advantage of automation of Customs processes and advancement in telecommunication to improve and provide efficient and competitive services to its clients.
The President assured all out support of the present government to the Sialkot Dry Port Trust in performance of its functions aimed at export promotion in the country.
The delegation thanked the President for meeting and assured that SDPT would continue making its positive contributions towards boosting country’s exports and developing national economy.