KARACHI, Dec 31: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed has called upon the government to formulate and implement the policies ensuring high growth in the agriculture sector and agro-based industries.

“A boost in these very potential sectors was imperative to meet the global challenges and fierce competition when developed countries would withdraw farm subsidies by the year 2013 as per an agreement reached at the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong,” the FPCCI chief said while talking to the participants of the National Defence College course for 2005-06 who visited the FPCCI Headquarters here on Saturday.

Acting chief instructor, NDC, Sibte Yahya Naqvi, led the course participants who included senior military and civil service officers.

The FPCCI president informed the participants that he had launched a programme to upgrade the infrastructure and human resources of the apex chamber. “A full-fledged research department is being established at the Federation House so that this apex trade body could play its due role in meeting the challenges emerging from globalization and liberalization of economies.”

He said the FPCCI was in contact with the ministry of commerce to strengthen trade bodies of the country.

In reply to a query about the low level of revenue from direct taxes, the FPCCI president and the Chairman, FPCCI standing committee on cotton and textile matters, Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, said that the burden of direct taxes was borne mostly by the trade and industry while agriculture and services sectors paid no direct taxes. They called for broadening the tax net.

The FPCCI president expressed the fear that Safta would not be implemented from January 1, 2006 as there were reservations about some items on the sensitive list and said the agreement should be beneficial to all the parties concerned.

Highlighting the FPCCI role towards the WTO, in-charge, WTO resource centre at FPCCI, M.A. Jabbar, informed the participants that the FPCCI used to suggest the ministry of commerce and other line departments of the government the required adjustments in their policies for enhanced capacity of the private sector to meet the challenges of the WTO.

The proposals mainly related to tariff concessions, enhanced market access to regional and international markets, bringing intellectual property rights under one controlling authority, he added.

Former FPCCI president Tariq Sayeed appreciated the measures taken by the Central Board of Revenue to overhaul the taxation system which not only increased government revenue, but also minimized the problems of taxpayers.—APP