By IANS
Islamabad : The Pakistani government is to create a state-of-the-art exports centre in Lahore as part of its effort to create infrastructure to boost exports.
The project has been approved at a revised cost of Rs.2.9 billion against the original estimate of Rs.1.9 billion.
This is because of the raising of the ground level by seven-eight feet, provision of international standard catwalks, upgrading furnishings of the convention center, providing two 11 KV independent feeders for 4,500 KW electricity load, and construction of a multi-storey parking plaza.
“The project aims to provide a state-of-the-art modern facility for the promotion of the country’s exports and other related economic activities,” Daily Times reported Sunday, quoting commerce ministry officials.
The expo centre will provide over 30,000 sq metres of space to local and foreign manufacturers and traders to exhibit their products to promote their business.
The commerce ministry and the industrial department of the Punjab government are sponsoring the project.
“Officials in the commerce ministry claimed that the country’s exports confront several challenges including low productivity and poor quality, poor processing technology and practices, lack of trained and skilled workforce, limited testing facilities, poor infrastructure facilities and lack of product development and diversification,” the newspaper said.
At the same time, the government has adopted several initiatives for enhancing exports through industrial diversification, technology upgrades, investment in infrastructure, standardisation, quality control and productivity enhancement, improving the business climate and reducing the cost of business, the officials added.
The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting here approved the revised cost of the expo centre, as also 45 developmental projects worth Rs.154 billion.
The Pakistani government has also sanctioned Rs.437.44 million for creating a certifying laboratory at Karachi since non-compliance with World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations on quality control have severely affected the country’s exports.
A national quality policy plan envisages the establishment of 100 laboratories in the country at a cost of Rs.5 billion.
According to US State Department figures, Pakistan’s exports, which grew by 14.4 percent in 2005-06 at $14.85 billion, are dominated by cotton textiles and apparels, despite the government’s diversification efforts.
Major imports include petroleum and petroleum products, edible oil, wheat, chemicals, fertilizer, capital goods, industrial raw materials, and consumer products – rising 38.8 percent to $25.6 billion the same year.