LAHORE, Feb 20: Pakistan could increase its exports to the war-ravaged Afghanistan to $500 million from the last year’s $140 million in two years if it succeeds in getting orders for pharmaceutical products, surgical instrument, cement, education material, etc.

This was stated by Export Promotion Bureau chairman Tariq Ikram while speaking at a seminar on the role of the business community in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan here on Wednesday.

The seminar was organized by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry and chaired by its president Dr Khalid J Chowdhry.

The EPB chairman said Pakistan wanted to maintain a negative list of items in bilateral trade with Afghanistan to protect the local industry. “As soon as we give rebate to the exporters on an item, its price falls down and it comes back into the country causing problems for the local industry,” he stated.

He said there was, however, no restriction on trade with Afghanistan if it was done in rupees without involving any rebate or foreign exchange transaction. He said the government had allowed rebate on trade in 30 items in foreign exchange.

He said the EPB had proposed to the ministry of commerce to set up a task force comprising businessmen for better links with the chambers of commerce and industry in the country to coordinate with them and avail opportunities offered by the reconstruction of Afghanistan. He said a member would be taken from each chamber. He said the task force was not being formed to “tell you (businessmen) what to do but to ask you to let us know what you have done or are doing (to get your share in the Afghanistan’s reconstruction).” He was hopeful that the task force would be constituted next week.

Ikram said the EPB had proposed to set up two warehouses in Kabul and Kandahar to facilitate Pakistan’s exporters to stock their goods there. He said there would be a lot of opportunities of selling ready stocks in the next few months. Besides, he said, the EBP also planned to set up a display centre in Islamabad where all products that could be exported to the neighbouring country would be exhibited.

He urged the businessmen to make efforts to secure their share in the Afghan reconstruction activity without wasting time or waiting for the government to do something for them. He said Pakistan’s close proximity and long-standing business and cultural relationships gave its businessmen a competitive advantage over other nations to play a more active role in that country’s rebuilding.

However, he pointed out, there were still certain issues like personal security, visa, etc., that needed to be resolved to allow the local industry to avail of the business opportunity in Afghanistan. He also advised the businessmen to be “sensitive to the sensitivities of Afghans that they might have developed due to several historical factors.”

Earlier, UNIDO’s resident representative Dr Carlos E Chanduvi said his agency intended to undertake development projects in the fields of agriculture, carpet weaving, mining, pharmaceuticals, energy, and manufacturing (textile, cement, sugar, food, light engineering, etc.) during the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

He said the rebuilding of Afghanistan could provide Pakistan and its businessmen access to the Central Asian markets and revive its sick industry.

Others who spoke on the occasion included Punjab law minister Dr KHalid Ranjha, LCCI vice president Yawar Irfan Khan, WHO economist Dr Fazal-e-Hakeem Khattak, EPB Afghan Reconstruction Cell director general Shuja-ud-Din, and UNICEF senior education officer Naman Sidku.