KARACHI: For compliance of 27 conventions linked to GSP-plus facility awarded to Pakistan by European Union, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has set up a Treaty Implementation Cell and the provinces are bound to follow the same.

“The Prime Minister is serious on treaties implementation. The cell is working satisfactorily, and will give you a briefing on this,” said Federal Minister for Commerce Engr Khurram Dastagir Khan during a meeting with members of Pakistan Ready-made Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) here on Monday.

He informed that Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have come ahead and set up their own cells and other provinces are expected to do the same at the earliest.

“Prime Minister is very anxious to increase exports. Even today, he directed me to take more steps in this regard. I assured him of more meetings with the stakeholders for better plans,” the minister said.

Khurram Dastagir said the government was working to revise the import policy and he sought input from PRGMEA and other trade bodies of the country.

He assured the value-adding textile sector people that their reservations, like sales tax refunds pending with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), would be addressed soon.

“Pursuing on top priority, I have even requested the Prime Minister to issue directives for the early resolution of this serious issue affecting your financial liquidity,” he said.

The minister agreed to the demand by PRGMEA's Central Chairman Ejaz A. Khokhar for setting up more training institutes for skill development in textile industry by utilising Export Development Fund (EDF).

However, he said, the associations would have to play their role in setting up and successfully running these institutes as EDF would not be used to pay any kind of recurring expenses. “EDF is purely for development of export infrastructure,” he asserted.

Engr Khurram Dastagir Khan assured that his ministry was ready to help PRGMEA members to get international certification. He urged the business community to join hands and support the government's efforts for taking full benefit of GSP-plus facility.

He said the first review in this regard was due in January, 2015 and was confident that Pakistan would soon be able to comply all 27 conventions.

The minister said that his ministry has planned to hold “Alishan Pakistan” trade exhibitions in many countries including Eastern Europe to project the trade potential of the country.

Khan was critical on the negative politics including sit-ins and rallies and maintained that these have badly affected the country’s economy.

PRGMEA's Central Chairman Ejaz A. Khokhar and Chairman Sindh-Balochistan Zone, Jawed Suleman and other senior leaders of the association, Dawood Jakhura and Bilal Mulla apprised the commerce minister of the problems facing value-adding textile sector and the textile industry in general.

The minister was accompanied by Federal Secretary Commerce Shahzad Arbab, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Trade Development Authority (TDAP) S. M. Muneer and Secretary TDAP Rabia Javeri Agha.