Daily Times

KARACHI: The services sector contributing by 59.2% to Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) exported services worth $5.4 billion in fiscal year 2015-16 (FY16), with a deficit of $ 2.9 billion as compared to last fiscal.

The deficit of $ 2.9 billion was 3.8 percent lower than the deficit recorded last year and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) attributed this small improvement mainly to a reduction in the freight deficit, which is the largest component in the country’s services trade profile, as a result of the big decline in oil prices.

Services exports’ share in the economy has gradually increased from 50 percent in FY00 to 59 percent in FY16 .However, past data suggests that services exports have stagnated around this level since FY10.

‘The commodity producing sector, which has been growing at a slower pace as compared to services, may not be able to generate sufficient exportable surpluses to meet the country’s growing foreign reserves needs’, SBP added.

Inflows under government services – primarily Coalition Support Fund (CSF) and other military services – account for more than one-third of the country’s total services exports. This is substantially higher than the share of government services of only 2 to 3 percent in the world trade in services. Given the non-economic and one off nature of government services, the high share does not bode well for long-term stability of export receipts. Incidentally, flows under CSF dropped drastically in FY16, the central Bank elaborated.

‘The current level of Pakistan’s services exports does not reflect the country’s true potential. Concerted efforts are needed to facilitate services exports by strengthening the regulatory framework; well-thought liberalisation of trade in services; investment in human resource development (especially in education and training for select services); improving access to finance for service-oriented industries; encouraging the private sector to form services coalitions and enterprise networks; promoting specialization in financial services; and improving data availability’, SBP suggested.

In this context, the “Services Exports-National Roadmap for Pakistan” – developed in 2007 with the help of the European Union should be revamped and implemented in its true spirit to promote trade in services, it added.

Non-CSF government services exports have recorded a sizable growth over the last two years; if this trend continues, it may cushion any further fall in FX receipts under CSF. The export of commercial services, which is obtained by adjusting overall export of services for government services, has remained almost flat at $ 3.4 billion since FY11.

These were only 1.2 percent of GDP in FY16, which is far below the global average level of 6.0 percent of world GDP. These exports are concentrated in transport, Information Communication Technology (ICT), travel, and business segments. These four (out of 11 major categories) have a combined share of more than 90 percent in overall export of commercial services.

ICT services exports, which continued to increase up to FY13, have stagnated since then.

This stagnation is largely stemming from telecommunication services, as revenues from foreign network operators (for calls that originate from outside Pakistan) are declining. This drop has come about as internet-based messaging and voice services, like Skype, Viber and Whatsapp, have gained tremendous traction locally. However, the negative impact was largely offset by the growing export of computer services. Exports of both software consultation services and of computer software, have maintained an upward trajectory since FY06.