All these signs of progress are beyond any doubt the outcome of the hectic efforts of our financial and commercial managers and the apex bodies of the private sector.
The foreigners, who visited eye-opening Expo 2005, have realised the fact that Pakistan is a country having enough potential to meet their requirements in many sectors but the only thing lacking is professional marketing approach by our Trade and Information Attaches based in all Pakistani missions round the globe.
Present is the most appropriate time when the saying "hit the iron when it is hot", since most of the people from the commercial sector round the globe are aware of recently held-Expo 2005, it must be fresh in their mind and our Commercial Counsellors based in different countries must adopt professional approach in their routine and instead of sitting in offices and wait for any enquiry to come which can be transmitted to the home country to be pasted on the notice board of the Export Promotion Bureau the Commercial Counsellors must move around in the city to look for the concerned buyers for the products of Pakistan.
If we look into the background and criterion of appointments of Commercial Attaches we will realise the fact that this position was always considered prize posting for near and dear ones or for extending political favours. Never in the history of Pakistan a proper marketing professional and marketing qualified person was appointed as Commercial Attaché, although some very highly qualified persons were sent for this post proper marketing professional was never sent.
It is the right time for us to look into the infrastructure and chain of command of commercial attaches and the infrastructure pattern of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must be adopted as this Ministry has a separate Director-General for different regions ie Director-General (Europe), Director-General (Africa) and so on who guides and looks after the workings of our diplomats based in their area of command.
With a minor alteration in the infrastructure the responsibilities of appointing Commercial Attaches should be entrusted to the Export Promotion Bureau instead of the Ministry of Commerce as the Bureau is directly responsible for the promotion of exports from Pakistan.
The Export Promotion Bureau should also have different Directors-General for different geographical regions and all commercial diplomats under his region must report to him in EPB and it must be the duty of the Director-General to introduce non-traditional items for exports in his area of command. Division of areas will reduce the gap of trading volume as presently it is said that 80% of our trade is carried out with 20% of the countries and 20% of the trade is carried out with 80 of the countries.
By this division of areas of Directors-General the volume of trade may hopefully be evenly balanced in every geographical direction and no single part of the world maybe said as untapped or unexplored market.
About a decade back the government had decided to privatise the position of Commercial Attaches and Commercial Counsellors and only MBAs with specialised in marketing were supposed to be sent as Commercial Attaches and the process was even started and the chief spokesman of commercial community ie President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) was assigned the task of selecting and recommending suitable persons who hold the above-mentioned qualifications for the said appointments and beyond any doubt commercial entrepreneur is the main person who needs the services of commercial attaches and he is the person who knows the best and who can be his best representative abroad.
Now when by the Grace of Almighty Allah we are progressing ahead in every sector and hectic efforts of Humayun Akhtar, Minister of Commerce, Tariq Ikram, Minister of State and Chairman Export Promotion Bureau and Asim Siddiqui, organiser of Expo 2005 and other exhibitions are bringing out better results we must also start changing and revamping this sector and proper marketing qualified and experienced persons recommended by the apex body of trade community should be appointed Commercial Attaches and those Commercial Attaches must report to his area Directors-General in the Export Promotion Bureau rather then the Ministry of Commerce directly and at a later stage the area of working of Commercial Attaches may be expanded by adding the responsibilities of marketing tourism services of Pakistan in their countries of postings which can also be said as their commercial activity.