KARACHI, Aug 9: Commerce Minister Abdul Razak Dawood on Friday said the industrial production had started showing signs of improvement, rising by 20 per cent during the first month of the current fiscal year.

Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Engro’s NPK fertilizer plant at Port Qasim, he said that the industrial growth was now on a recovery drive and the country’s exports had been constantly rising from March 2002.

“We are not selling our products on poor values to various countries now. Both quantity and value are rising,” he said, adding that the country’s image and competitiveness in our products in the world markets have also started improving. “It is a good sign on the horizon,” he added.

On free market economy, he said the government had already allowed free import and export of agriculture products. “It may hurt the interest of local farmers and manufacturers in the short run but soon they would realize its positive impact on long-term basis,” Dawood said.

“I want to see Pakistan as a trading nation,” he said giving examples of various commodities like cotton, fruits and vegetables that are simultaneously being exported and imported at the same port in Karachi. “There is nothing wrong in free trade as many developed nations are integrating with each other,” he added.

He said the government was determined to remain firm on the policy of free import and export of commodities and goods.

He referred to the recent government’s trade agreements and market access to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. He said that NPK fertilizer could get a duty-free access to the Sri Lankan market particularly. He asked the Engro officials to hold a meeting with him in this regard so that fertilizer could be included in the trade list between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

He said the government was also encouraging private and public sector partnerships and many boards, representing various sectors, had been set up.

The government has already decided to play the role of a facilitator and allowed the private sector to take the lead in various boards, aimed at checking standards and quality besides watching the policies as the guardian of different areas.