As all the times policies are made and announced without the due consultation of stakeholders and thus hardly any targets are achieved. He said that the industrial production would remain sluggish and all the targets of Trade Policy would remain unfulfilled unless and until measures are not taken to expedite the industrial wheel by availability of cheaper electricity and continuous supply of gas to the industry.
He said that the government should concentrate on electricity production through hydel means as thermal electricity is not only very costly but also adding up to the import bill. He said that thermal power units could be a stop-gap arrangement and their adoption for a longer term would hit the economy hard.
While stressing the need for construction of Kalabagh Dam, he said that a lot of money had already been spent on the project and it is quite feasible but for unknown reasons, the government is reluctant to start work. He said that the upcoming trade policy must focus on promoting exports of non-traditional items as concentration on a few items and on few countries is also hitting the country's economy hard.
Lashari said that auto-parts, handicrafts, precious stones, herbal medicines and fruits have huge potential in south East Asia, Far East and African region. He said that textile sector makes more than 65 per cent of total export earnings despite the fact that Pakistan produces excellent quality fruit and vegetables, Halal meat, auto-parts, confectionary items, sports goods and medical equipment.
He said that the business community was ready to supplement all government efforts aimed at enhancing the exports but without due consultation of real stakeholders even the easiest targets become harder to achieve. He said the delegations organised by the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP) should be prepared in close consultation with chambers of commerce and industry to ensure greater representation of private sector at international trading events such as trade fairs and single country exhibitions that play a vital role to enhance the exports. He said embassies of neighbouring countries were playing an active role in promoting trade diplomacy all around the globe in close liaison with their trade supporting organisations.