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By APD writer Muhammad Sohail
ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 (APD) -- Pakistan’s exports to the European Union have stagnated during the last four years despite waiver of duties on several products under the Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+), local media reported Wednesday.
According to the reports, the GSP+ facility, implemented from Jan 1, 2014, helped promote exports from Pakistan to the EU by almost 21 percent in the first year. However, “no tangible growth was recorded in export proceeds to EU in the following four years”, reported local media while quoting a senior official of Pakistan’s commerce ministry.
The official admitted that the full potential of GSP+ is yet to be achieved despite the fact that the facility has been in place for the last five years.
Before the GSP+ scheme, Pakistan’s exports to 28-member EU stood at 4.54 billion Euros in 2013, which jumped to 6.09 billion Euros in 2015. However, since 2016 the exports proceeds have remained stagnant at less than seven billion Euros since then.
Pakistan in order to avail the scheme, set to expire in 2024, implemented 27 United Nations conventions in 2014.
On the basis of reports prepared by the European External Action Service, the European Commission and EU Delegation in Islamabad, EU Parliament evaluated its GSP+ Scheme in 2016 and 2018, respectively.
According to reports, Pakistan, being the largest beneficiary of GSP+ scheme, 75pc imports under the scheme to EU are from Pakistan, is under immense scrutiny by not only the EU’s civil society organizations but also by the textile and garment manufacturers which see Pakistan as a competitor.
Other challenges to the continuation of GSP+ scheme include the failure of Pakistan to implement labor regulations in export processing zones and shrinking space from the EU’s civil society, which has been agitated by the labor unions, think tanks and members of the European Parliament.
The commerce ministry official said the upcoming GSP+ review, due in the first half of 2020, is crucial for the continuation of the scheme.
To enjoy preferential access for goods, Pakistan needs to implement in letter and in spirit the 27 UN conventions on human rights, labor rights, environmental protection and good governance.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
