Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, has said in a statement that the Pakistan government is focusing on diversifying the country’s export base, exploring new markets and improving the country's image in order to achieve an export target of $28 billion in the next five years.
Speaking at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone of an export display centre at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), the Prime Minister announced that Pakistan was on course to achieve exports worth $14 billion for the year 2004-05, but said that this was still well below the potential of the country. "Countries like ASEAN members, with far less resources, are way ahead of us. Let's not rest on our laurels and show that we are a serious player," he said.
Mr Aziz said that the government plans to diversify its exports base by nurturing the development of new products. He said the government was currently engaged in negotiations with a host of countries to agree preferential trade arrangements (PTAs) and free trade agreements (FTAs) to provide new markets for Pakistani products. Countries currently in discussions include Iran, South American countries, EU member countries, China and Japan.
