Faisalabad: Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA),North Zone Chairman Mian Farrukh Iqbal has urged the government to address structural and policy-related issues confronting exporters to enhance the country’s export competitiveness.
In a statement issued here on Friday, he said exporters remained committed to increasing exports,generating foreign exchange, creating employment and promoting value addition but were facing severe challenges due to high energy and production costs,expensive financing, taxation issues, delayed refunds and frequent policy changes.
He called for a 10-year long-term export policy with continuity, competitive energy tariffs, affordable financing, timely sales tax refunds, rational taxation and uninterrupted utilities for export-oriented industries.
Mian Farrukh Iqbal said Pakistani exporters were competing in highly competitive international markets where prices were largely determined by foreign buyers, leaving exporters with limited ability to pass rising production costs on to international customers.
He also expressed concern over disruptions in transportation and logistics, saying strikes and interruptions in cargo movement caused vessel shut-outs, rolled-over bookings, detention, demurrage, storage and higher freight costs.
He urged the government to ensure uninterrupted movement of export cargo from factories to ports to avoid additional costs and delays.
The PHMA North Zone Chairman further said export incentives should be viewed as measures to maintain international competitiveness, as competing countries were providing their industries with comparatively competitive energy, financing and trade-support facilities.
He urged the government to engage directly with genuine export-oriented associations and formulate policies in consultation with relevant stakeholders.
‘Pakistan needs more exports, more investment and greater value addition.This can only be achieved by making our industries competitive and ensuring long-term policy stability,’ he added.