LAHORE: Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said the disparity in gas prices between the provinces was the biggest issue but it has now been resolved by implementing uniform price across the country.
He was talking to the business community during his visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI), where LCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Khawar Rasheed, Vice President Zeshan Khalil, Tariq Hameed, Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, Almas Hyder, Khawaja Shahzad Nasir, Fahim-ur-Rehman Saigol and Executive Committee Members also spoke on the occasion.
The governor said that uniform gas prices would be beneficial for the business community and help enhance exports. He said that partnership between the government and the business community was a must for progress and prosperity.
He said that today exports and imports were around $ 20 billion and $ 58 billion, respectively, due to bad policies of the previous government. Exports of pharmaceutical came down
to $ 200 million from $ 400 million.
He said that GSP Plus
was a difficult task but achieved successfully for the country. Under GSP Plus Status, the governor said, exports of textile to the Eurozone enhanced by 47 per cent which had added $ 3 billion to the exports figures but benefits achieved from GSP Plus facility were far less than the potential.Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar said that per hectare yield of cotton in Pakistan was 700kg as compared to India and European countries where it was 2,000kg per hectare. Likewise, fisheries exports of Pakistan were far less than India.
He cited that production of fisheries could be increased from one ton per acre to five ton. He said that promotion of fisheries production in rural areas could generate huge employment opportunities and discourage the trend of migration from rural to urban areas.
The governor mentioned that smuggling was one of the biggest challenges that must be tackled with an iron hand as it was causing huge loss to the local industries and national exchequer.
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