TEXPO to enhance country’s exports : Saleh Ahmed Faruqui

Lahore : The government is focusing to gain tangible
results from 2nd Edition of TEXPO being organized with the main objective to enhance country’s exports through comprehensive display of diverse
Pakistani textile, clothing and all allied products.

Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) Secretary Saleh Ahmed Faruqui expressed these views while briefing media about TEXPO‑2019 here at Expo Centre on Tuesday. TDAP (Karachi) Director General Rafay Bashir Shah and TDAP (Lahore) Director General Riaz Ahmed also accompanied him.

Faruqui added that since Pakistan had a great challenge of trade and export promotion, the government was making all out efforts in this direction, and TEXPO‑2019 was a part of that larger effort being made by the Ministry of Commerce, TDAP and other relevant departments.

The biggest expo of country’s textile sector, he said, the TEXPO‑2019 would prove instrumental in jacking up countries trade activities and exports. The first edition of the TEXPO was held in Karachi in 2016 and according to exporters’ evaluation that event had help produced US $ 700 billion.

He mentioned that textile sector was contributing 57 per cent to the country’s export portfolio, citing that textiles witnessed an increase of 9 per cent in fiscal year 2018 against FY 2017, rising to $13.53 billion. The major reason being improved financial incentives raining the competitiveness of the domestic industry in international market.

In order to cater to the demand of projecting textiles sector specifically in Pakistan, TDAP undertook the special initiative of organizing the TEXPOs and it was decided that TEXPO would be organized bi‑annually. Leading fashion designers/textile houses and retail
brands would showcase their latest collections at the event, he maintained.

The TDAP Secretary said that event would be bringing together representatives of leading chain stores and intentional buyers to interact with Pakistani counterparts at one place. He hoped that TEXPO‑2019 would contribute immensely in enhancing country’s image coupled with generating economic activity in general and textile exports in particular. “With the efforts of TDAP and our Trade Missions abroad, major
international brands and sourcing/buying houses from 26 countries including USA, China, Japan, Germany, Russia, France and UK have confirmed participation  in the event. More than 550 international buyers are expected to attend this mega exhibition,” he maintained.

In order to capitalize the presence of the trade officers, he said, a Trade Envoys’ Conference was being organized on the occasions on April 14, where the stakeholders from the trade and industry and the government would exchange their opinion with a view to work‑out a mechanism for better and faster interaction among them to achieve the common objective of enhancing exports of the country.

He told the media that TDAP would also organize a two‑day seminar on the sidelines of TEXPO‑2019 at Expo Centre to be attended by leading exporters of various sectors.

Muhammad Saleh Ahmed Faruqui observed that it would be a win‑win situation for all the stakeholders. “We hope that the event will be concluded with satisfaction of local exhibitors and foreign buyers wherein both will gain valuable contacts which will indeed translate into long‑term sourcing of products from exhibitors.”