KARACHI: Learners’ Republic recently conducted an important webinar on Pakistan’s international trade competitiveness titled ‘Boosting Pakistan’s Trade Competitiveness’.
The webinar was divided into four rounds; the first focused on the evaluation of Pakistan’s current position with regards to trade; the second focused on future strategies, the third on questions specific to the panellists’ expertise, while the fourth was reserved for questions.
Panellists included Interloop Limited Chairman Musadaq Zulqarnain, Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians MNA & Chairperson Shandana Gulzar Khan, World Bank’s Senior Economist Gonzalo Varela, Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Minister in London Shafiq Shahzad, Gentech Solutions Founder & COO Shamim Rajani, and IBA Karachi Assistant Professor Dr Aadil Nakhoda.
The session was moderated by Ariba Shahid, a business journalist from Profit.
During the talk, Zulqarnain highlighted ways in which Pakistan should integrate with the world. He stressed the importance of developing the youth in attempts to boost trade.
Varela, in light of the World Bank, explained how imports are important for Pakistan’s trade and can essentially lead to greater exports.
Gulzar represented the government’s stance throughout the webinar and emphasized on the importance of the budget and how it is trade-friendly.
Ranjani commented on the importance of the IT sector. Interestingly, she commented that private sector organizations deal with app development and problem-solving on a greater frequency than the government. Thereby, it would have been better had the GOP outsourced the Covid-199 app to the private sector.
Shahzad called for greater coordination among ministries in order to reap greater returns. In addition, he explained his role as a trade attaché.
Nakhoda commented on the need for greater awareness of the private sector. “If the right research about export markers is undertaken and standards are adhered to, exports can be boosted.”
Profit was the exclusive media partners of the event.
During the webinar, Zulqarnain appreciated the SBP’s Rozagar Scheme launched in response to Covid-19.
