KARACHI, May 1: Overwhelming majority of participants to a single country exhibition held in Casablanca, Morocco (April 20 to 22) have requested Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to hold an inquiry into mismanagement and lack of proper information and guidance from the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) resulting in a fiasco of the event.

In a joint written complaint addressed to the prime minister about 32 participants expressed their utter dismay and frustration about the horrendous experience they had to undergo owing to poor arrangements and wrong information provided by the TDAP at the time of inviting applications from the prospective participants to the event.

The participants said that it turned out to be a fiasco which did not only resulted in huge financial loss to the exhibitors but also brought bad name to the country.

They demanded that an inquiry should be held and stern action should be taken against the officials in order to ensure that no such ‘criminal negligence’ takes place in future and bring bad name to the country.

They pointed out that the TDAP invited applications for the above fair several months back stating that on the last day of the fair there would be spot sales. Accordingly a number of exporters of different items such as marble, rice, garments engineering goods and home textiles applied for the same with a fee of Rs25,000 per participant.

The TDAP selected 35 participants and informed them to send goods consignment up to a certain weight based on spot sales during first week of March to the nominated clearing agent in Karachi.However, only two days before starting of the fair the TDAP informed the participants that no spot sales would be allowed as Moroccan Customs would not release the goods due to high tariffs. But it was too late to withdraw from the fair because goods had already been dispatched.

They alleged that the fair was highly disorganised when the participants reached Casablanca and went to the exhibition hall they were shocked to see that there were no display shelves and stands were of very poor quality.

Eventually a chip board was used which gave ugly look to the booths and this was also witnessed by State Minister Hamid Hiraj when he visited the fair on the opening day along with Moroccan minister.

The participants on spot complained to the state minister for commerce and Pakistan Ambassador to Morocco Atiya Mehmood. The ambassador informed the exhibitors that the TDAP was duly informed that, if any spot sales have to be made two invoices should be made separating samples from the goods to be sold.

As a result of this negligence on part of the TDAP, the exhibitors who were also not allowed to even give samples to the prospective buyers. Huge amount was spent by the TDAP on the construction of stands and dispatching of samples which were again returned back home on incurring more expenses.

It was further pointed out that no proper publicity and information was disseminated to local trade bodies and chambers about holding of Pakistan’s single country exhibition in Morocco as a result no buyers turn up to see or visit the fair.

They said that the prime minister of Morocco was to visit the exhibition but somehow he did not turn up which proved a blessing in disguise to the exhibitors and the country as it would have earned bad name for Pakistan.