March 09, 2016
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, First Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said remittances are more important than exports therefore this sector should be encouraged.
Some elements continue to discourage this critical sector which can have a negative impact on workers remittances that are lifeline of the national economy.
Private sector has to invest almost seventeen billion dollars as input costs to realise exports of twenty two billion dollars which include cost of raw material, labour, energy, processing and transport etc., he said.
On the other hand expats spend their own money to go abroad to find jobs and soon they start sending foreign exchange for decades in which government has no investment.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that government spends heavily to increase exports but incompetent managers result in massive wastage every year.
He said that expats and those who send them abroad are assets but they are not given due attention rather they are milked and harassed by different agencies.
He said that experienced and honest officials should be preferred in the ministry of overseas Pakistanis and the post of director general lying vacant since three weeks should be filled immediately.
Different embassies have refused to honour manpower export licences issued by government while some countries regarded as good manpower export markets have refused to issue visa to job promoters which should be resolved, he demanded.
Despite the discouraging situation, the concerned ministry and other departments seems unconcerned about the plight of workers and promoters which is amazing, he said.
Mian Zahid said that the ministry should chalk out a plan to train manpower which will give a boost to remittances while appointment of non-professional people as labour and community welfare attachés in other countries should be abandoned in the national interest as they are causing more harm than good.
