950809

$9.206 bn target for 1995-96

EPB to spend

Rs 580m on export

promotion drive

MUZAFFAR QURESHI

KARACHI: The Export Promotion Bureau will spend over Rs 580 million on export promotion activities during 1995-96 compared to Rs 460 million spent last year. This amount has been allocated to achieve an export target of $9.206 billion compared to last year's target of $8.036 billion.

The highest amount (Rs 200 million) has been earmarked for participation in international trade fairs and exhibitions, followed by Rs 75 million for export publicity and Rs 45 million, for display activities inside the country.

The new export projection budget includes largest increase (Rs 45 million) in publicity against Rs 30 million allocated last year.

Other expenditures on export promotion include market surveys Rs 12 million compared to Rs 10 million last year; training and research Rs 40.5 million compared to Rs 40 million; international fairs Rs 200 million compared to Rs 150 million, display centres in the country Rs 45 million compared to Rs 39 million; display abroad Rs 34 million compared to Rs 29 million.

Sources at the Export Promotion Bureau revealed that the new export strategy which will be finalized at a meeting in Islamabad on August 16 under the chairmanship of commerce minister, the emphasis will continue to be on non-traditional items which registered 50 percent increase in 1994-95. It is for the first time in the history of country's exports that the value of exports of non-traditional items crossed one billion dollar mark.

EPB strategists are also pinning hopes on better cotton crop this year which will help in increasing export of textile products besides the export of yarn and raw cotton.

Answering a question, the EPB source said that the export value increased by 1.2 billion dollars last year against $460 million spent on export promotion activities.

The export review meeting to be held in Islamabad will inquire into the causes which led to the decline of exports in certain items and will draw up a strategy to achieve better results in exports during 1995-96.