Daily Times

KARACHI: For the first time in Pakistan’s economic history, Ministry of Commerce in collaboration with Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) initiated nationwide series of public-private dialogues for domestic commerce policy formulation.

These recently concluded three-day dialogues included sessions of orientation and research workshops conducted by Ministry of Commerce Director Aasim Tiwana at the TDAP headquarters.

Inaugurating the series, TDAP Secretary Inamullah Khan emphasised upon the role played by country’s domestic commerce in boosting exports, generating employment and improving socioeconomic indicators.

It is worth mentioning that as per World Bank and Global Competitiveness Index, Pakistan’s international rankings have improved considerably when it came to ‘ease of doing business.’

TDAP came to spotlight at an ideal time when the Ministry of Commerce had finalised drafts of individual provincial domestic commerce strategies for Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and AJK over the course of two years. However, these strategies remained pending for implementation as the regime of domestic commerce reforms and implementation vests with the provinces post 18th constitutional amendment.

Moreover, TDAP had officially pledged with the federal government to establish domestic commerce wing in its regional and sub-regional offices across the country to strengthen the weak linkages between Pakistan’s domestic commerce and its exports regime.Pakistan lacked integrated commercial governance framework which could provide enabling

Pakistan lacked integrated commercial governance framework which could provide enabling environment to initiate and sustain multi-sized businesses of various sectors. The provincial domestic commerce strategies referred above and the formulation of national level domestic commerce policy through the ongoing public-private dialogues have envisaged the establishment of one window business development public sector office, catering to the regulatory and developmental names of domestic markets.

Analysts have expressed concerns regarding slow pace of implementation of these highly demanded commercial initiatives of the federal government in the wake of 18th amendment, which devolved most of the business-relevant functions of the federation to the provinces. The decrease in exports is mainly due to our very weak domestic commerce regime.

Overall response of the business community was overwhelmingly reflected through their vehement participation and policy recommendations during the three-day domestic commerce orientation and research workshop.

Collaborations between the business community and government would not only improve the country’s commercial climate, but would also strengthen Pakistan’s socioeconomic regime and budgetary space.