ISLAMABAD, July 23: The government has allocated Rs1.5 billion from the Export Development Fund (EDF) to meet the implementation cost of schemes announced in the Trade Policy 2004-05.

Speaking at the post-trade policy press conference here on Friday, Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan said that besides this, another amount of Rs550 million facility was also available with his ministry for implementation of all such schemes.

Commerce Secretary Tasneem Noorani and other senior officials were also present on the occasion. Answering a question, Mr Khan said that it had been decided that some shares of the Public Sector Development Programme would be diverted towards strengthening and development of industrial infrastructure for enhancing production and diversifying the export base.

In reply to another question, the minister said that it was agreed in principle that an amount of Rs2-3 billion would be allocated annually from the PSDP for the development of infrastructure.

Mr Khan said that a draft legislation of the reorganization of the Export Promotion Bureau was sent to the cabinet for approval to make the EPB an authority or an autonomous institution for improving its efficiency in promotion of exports.

He said that in the first step around 50 exporters from Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad would be sent abroad for improving their skill and updating information on production of their products.

The minister said that necessary steps would be taken for increasing the competitiveness of garments to make them competitive in the international market in the post-quota regime.

Mr Khan said the government had already started a move to increase market access for Pakistani products by signing preferential trading arrangements (PTAs) with a number of countries, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Turkey and Iran.

The minister said that incentives announced in the Trade Policy would provide a level-playing field for exporters and make them competitive internationally.

"The basic theme of policy is to get maximum market access for our products, provide conducive environment to the exporters, reduce the cost of doing business, enhance productivity, ensure compliance and focus on the core sectors and markets," he remarked.

Mr Khan said that communication cities would also be established in other major cities to provide all infrastructure facilities to IT, telecommunication and media companies.

He said that an ordinance pertaining to cross-media ownership had been sent to the ministry of law for vetting, and would soon be presented before the cabinet for approval.

APP ADDS: Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan said to facilitate re-export of imported goods, the condition of value-addition had been waived. Furthermore, in case of re-export through land route, the requirement of payment of full duty has also been waived. Such re-exports will be entitled to a refund of the one per cent warehousing surcharge, Mr Khan told press conference.