CEO TDAP responsible for dwindling exports :Businessmen Panel

Lahore: TADP working has gone to dismal level and even the basic research and development work is not being done, said Businessmen Panel Chairman Sultan Chawla. He said that FPCCI is in real shambles and the United Business Group has not fulfilled its commitments after taking over the reins of the apex body of the business community, adding that about 200 members of the managing committee have been left alone and have not been given any opportunity to work for the business community.

Zakria Usman said that he, during his tenure, left as much as Rs 60 million in the federation’s kitty. He accused that he was elected as Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) president, which is the new version of Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD), but after the FPCCI elections, he has been denied to hold the ECO office.

He said through ECO, he could do a lot for the country by enhancing trade between Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. He alleged that during his FPCCI tenure, the government had accepted most of his recommendations regarding taxations while during the present tenure, none of the budgetary proposals were accepted by the government and issue of withholding tax went on to become a disaster.

He said that UBG chief S M Muneer should be removed from the office of Trade and Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), as he is going to influence all export associations in the forthcoming elections.

Senator Ghulam Ali said that the government should initiate probe in the affairs of TDAP as the country lost over $4 billion exports.

Meanwhile; The United Business Group of FPCCI criticised Businessmen Panel (BMP) for holding CEO TDAP responsible for dwindling exports which is unjustified.

In a statement issued here today, Gulzar Feroze Spokesman of UBG said that Pakistan’s exports have dipped due to global recession which has nothing to do with TDAP’s performance as the institution is already in process of exploring new markets to boost external trade.

The recent statements of BMP leaders including Mian Zahid Hussain, Haji Ghulam Ali and others are baseless as none of them has any experience of exposure about exports, said Feroze.

He said that leaders of Businessman Panel whom have been defeated twice in the FPCCI elections, are fond of targeting UBG leaders and CEO TDAP in a bid to gain cheap popularity.

Recession coupled with low oil prices have also damaged commodity market resulting in export losses to almost all the countries including Pakistan but TDAP is criticised to gain political mileage.

He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has put country on path of prosperity and exports will pick up as soon as the energy crisis is resolved which will take less than two years for which business community will unconditionally cooperate with the government.

Prices of energy and petroleum products are going down gradually to the benefit of people and industry, he said, adding that business community has rejected BMP is last two elections and politics of mudslinging will not help them in future.