Press Release

LCCI organises seminar to create awareness about STPF

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry held a dissemination seminar on “Post Strategic Trade Policy Framework in collaboration with USAID and Federal Ministry of Commerce here at a local hotel.

LCCI Executive Committee Member Amjad Ali Jawa represented the LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad while Federal Secretary for Commerce Azam Ali Ranjha, Chief of Party – USAID alongside government, DG (Trade Policy) Raheela Tajwar, Director Arsalan Ahmed, Senior Trade Policy & Research Specialist Tayyaba Batool, Mohammad Owais Khan, Chairman Footwear Manufacturers & Exporters Association Wassem Zakaria, Mubasher Butt from Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association, DG Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) Sher Afghan were the key speakers.

The seminar was organized to provide awareness on the initiatives provided in the Strategic Trade Policy Framework for optimum used by the private sector, to educate private sector about procedural requirements, eligibility criteria and other formalities for availing incentives provided in the STPF, to get feedback from the private sector for course corrections in the current STPF and implementation monitoring of the trade policies, to develop public-private partnership for implementation of the STPF initiatives and to identify areas/issues for further research and analysis by Ministry of Commerce for designing the future Strategic Trade Policy Framework.

All the participants shared their point of view and given suggestions for institutional strengthening and export development. They said that those areas should be focused on priority which have utmost for export growth.

The participants also stressed the need for brand development saying that matching grants should be given to facilitate the branding and certification for faster growth of the SME and export sector in Pakistan’s economy through intellectual property registration including trade and service marks.