EU pushes Pakistan to focus on leather exports

ISLAMABAD: The European Union (EU) has urged Pakistan s business community to make
better use of the GSP Plus status and diversify their exports from textiles tow
ards neglected sectors like value added leather.
Talking to media, European Union (EU) Ambassador to Pakistan Jean Francois Cauta
in stressed that the business community needed to explore opportunities in secto
rs other than textile and leather, in a bid to take advantage of the GSP Plus sc
heme.
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The leather sector is an important sector in Pakistan, due to the sheer size of i
ts economic footprint, employment, and potential for value creation, said the amb
assador.
He added that despite being an export earner, Pakistan s leather sector has a smal
l share in the global trade of value added goods and products.
In the wake of th
e current incentives given by the EU, which includes the GSP+ status for Pakista
n, the value added leather sector needs to seize the opportunity and further dev
elop the sector to become an even greater export earner for Pakistan, he noted.
Events such as the Pakistan Mega Leather Show help improve confidence of internat
ional investors in leather sector,
said Jean-Franois.
Besides the EU ambassador, delegation of the European Union (EU) also attended a
nd addressed an international symposium held in connection with Pakistan Mega Le
ather Show (PMLS) 2016 in Lahore last month.
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The event was arranged by the EU funded Pakistan Leather Competitiveness Improvem
ent Program (PLCIP) under European Union s Trade Related Technical Assistance Progr
amme. The EU funded Programme (PLCIP) is working to improve the overall value ch
ain in the leather sector of Pakistan.