Fall of over $5bn in exports damaged economy, bankrupted exporters: FPCI

Demands accountability of those damaging exports

ISLAMABAD

The businessmen panel of the FPCCI on Saturday said that exports have registered a fall of over five billion dollars in the last three years, which has pushed the country into a very difficult situation.

Hundreds of industrial units have been closed, many exporters became bankrupt, scores of labourers lost their jobs, while the government has to borrow extensively from foreign and domestic sources to save the country from default, it said.

Businessmen panel of FPCCI Secretary General Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, Vice President Sheikh Aslam, Ahmed Jawad and Mian Usman said in a statement that those who were responsible for the fall in exports should be brought to the book.

They said that one of the persons responsible for fall in the exports is former CEO of TDAP who failed to deliver in three years leaving the government with only option to show him the door.

Former CEO Muneer never paid attention to his job and used all his abilities, as well as the resources of the government, to gain political mileage, and dominate the FPCCI, they added.

The government took a number of steps to reform external sector but Muneer failed to improve exports by taking stakeholders on the board and resolve their issues.

Therefore, they said, TDAP failed to achieve the target for three years and continued to blame other factors for its failure.

They alleged that former CEO of TDAP used government’s money to buy loyalties, promoted selected businesses and chambers of commerce faithful to his person, arranged many useless exhibitions and organized many free foreign trips for the voters.

After every exhibition, he claimed to have received export orders worth billions which proved to be baseless in the light of statistics.

The business leaders demanded that SM Muneer should be brought to Pakistan and summoned in the session of the National Assembly to answer for his deeds so that no one in future can take part in politics while having a government job.

Must Read