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ISLAMABAD, Apr 23 (APP):Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday urged entrepreneurs and exporters to actively participate in local and international exhibitions and help integrate Pakistan into the global supply chain by effectively showcasing high-quality and competitive products.
Addressing the Pakistan-Bahrain Investment Opportunities Expo, he called on all stakeholders to broaden the international reach of Pakistani products by meeting global standards and promoting the “Made in Pakistan” label as a symbol of quality and a global brand.
To support this vision, the minister announced the establishment of a National Centre for Brand Development, which would provide comprehensive support to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector in producing value-added goods. He described exhibitions as a key pillar of the country’s export development strategy.
He also invited the Pakistan Exhibitioners Association to partner with the government in promoting internationally competitive products and contributing to the national goal of achieving $100 billion in exports over the next 8 to 10 years.
“Exporters not only carry Pakistani products across the globe, but also contribute to making Pakistan a part of the global supply chain,” he said, encouraging participants at the expo to work with a visionary and mission-driven approach.
Earlier, the minister highlighted the importance of a supportive ecosystem for development, highlighting peace and harmony, stability, consistent policies and a sustained reform process as essential pillars for achieving long-term and sustainable growth.
In past, he said that whenever the PML-N government had set the country on a development path and its policy frameworks began delivering results, it was prevented from continuing its internationally recognized development agenda with change of regime.
He cited assessments by international rating agencies that projected Pakistan could have become one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2030, had it maintained the development momentum of 2013–2018.
However, following the 2018 elections, governance was handed over to an inexperienced political party, which, according to him, dismantled established development frameworks and brought the country to the brink of financial default.
Now, he said, the PML-N government has once again regained the pace of development through sound economic policies. As a result, inflation has dropped from 38% to 2.5%, the policy rate has been reduced to 12%, and the Pakistan Stock Exchange has reached a record high of 115,000 points on the PSX 100 Index – all in a short period.
To sustain this momentum and elevate Pakistan’s economic standing, the minister stressed the need to avoid political disruptions, attract more foreign direct investment and significantly boost exports.