HONG KONG, Dec 15: Pakistani representatives have been asked to ensure a just and fair tariff protection for a sustainable development of the country’s manufacturing sector while negotiating with developed and developing countries at the sixth ministerial conference.

Expressing their apprehensions, some of the NGOs from Pakistan feel that if due protections are not ensured while striking a deal on agriculture subsidies and non-agriculture market access (NAMA) with developed countries, it may retard knowledge-based industrial growth and manufacturing.    M.A. Jabber, nominee of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) at the Hong Kong conference, said the commerce minister had assured that he would protect the economic interest of the country as head of the Pakistan delegation.     On the issue of NAMA, he said the just and fair tariff protection coupled with capacity-building of the domestic industry manufacturing non-agriculture market products would help in sustainable development of the present industry into technologically upgraded industry of future.     He said further that the commerce minister should know that a bordered difference in proposed coefficients for reducing tariffs of developing and developed countries with longer time framework for implementation was the only choice for Pakistan to remove internal weaknesses and increase quality and competitiveness of non-agriculture market products.     The industry in Pakistan already under structural reforms is faced with low tariff protection. Mr Jabber said that lower tariff protections catalyzed by application of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) might not accelerate the industrial growth required for creating jobs and increasing national wealth.     On the issue of agriculture, he said the latest G-20 declaration calling for a consensus no modalities and submission of draft schedules latest by the middle of 2006 could achieve a successful completion of the DDR.     He said further that a time-bound manner eliminating subsidies by the EU, the US and other rich countries would help the agriculture sector of Pakistan.     On the services issue, Mr Jabbar said that services-led growth measured as generation of income and employment should be the national development policy. He said the liberalization of services without creating policy for national development, placing safeguards to list a limit committed and liberalized services might not be in overall economic interest of the country.

“Services occupy half share in GDP growth of the country and investments in social services can increase Human Development Index (HDI) and the competitive level of local service providers,” he adds.     He said that statistical data showed that the benefit of liberalization of services had been mostly shared by India and China and a few other countries and Pakistan had not gained any mentionable income benefit. The future numerical studies also do not place Pakistan as beneficial of liberalization so the focus of the policy should be to develop competitiveness of local service providers.

He said that mode for services had potential and if the movement of national people was liberalized by developed countries “we may receive additional remittances and also see income of families of overseas workers rising.