Karachi: The Employer’s Federation of Pakistan and Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association have formed the EFP-PRGMEA GSP Plus Committee to sensitize the government and others to wake up and immediately start the campaign to ensure that European Union continues to grant GSP Plus status to Pakistan for another ten years from 01 January 2024.
This was unanimously agreed at a high level meeting held at EFP.
In a press statement released by the EFP Media Cell, it was decided that the following would initially be members of the Committee and gradually others would be invited to make it strong, effective and forceful. The Convener would be Ijaz Khokhar, Chief Coordinator PRGMEA, while Co-Convener would be Masood Naqi Director EFP Economic Council.
The Committee would include Sohail Afzal, Chairman PRGMEA, Zaki Ahmed Khan VP EFP, Mehnaz Kaludi, Director EFP representing Towels sector, Mehmood Arshad and Furqan Riaz, Directors EFP-Economic Council, one PRGMEA member from Lahore, and a representative from Home Textiles sector.
An Advisory Board was also announced. Younus Dagha, Former Federal Secretary, would be Chairman while Ismail Suttar, President EFP and Majyd Aziz, Former President EFP, would be Members.
The meeting also approved Terms of Reference of the Committee. In which decided that interaction and communication with seven Federal Ministries I.e. Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, Human Rights, Narcotics Control, Climate Change, and Planning and Development and Special Initiatives, regarding monitoring and implementation of the 27 conditionalities of the GSP Plus status.
Interaction and communication with EU Ambassador as well as with Ambassadors of European countries in Islamabad. Direct advocacy and lobbying through visits to EU Headquarters in Brussels. Organize seminars in Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot once a year during 2021, 2022 and 2023. Prepare research documents on GSP Plus. Sensitize manufacturers, workers and government on the imperatives of obtaining another decade of EU GSP Plus status and constant communication with media and utilize social media to promote GSP Plus.
The Committee offered full support to Prime Minister Imran Khan and concerned Ministries to promote GSP Plus in order to enhance exports to European Union, increase employment and boost the Foreign Exchange reserves.
