Pak B2B Trade - News Update :

The details of the news updates on Homepage are as under:

Networking in the Canadian IT Market

To further boost Pakistan’s IT industry, the Pakistan software Exports Board (PSEB) recently held several networking events in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa (Canada). 14 leading IT companies from Pakistan participated in these events. The Pakistani delegation comprised of PSEB officials and representatives of participating companies.
The delegates met with the officials of CGI Group, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and ministries of research and innovation and economic development and trade, the Equity Feed Corporation, the SNC Lavalin Group and several other leading companies, The Pakistan delegation held networking sessions with organizations such as Envision Mobile (for enterprise mobility solutions),
Credit Link Capital (CLC) Management, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Deloitte Inc. business consultants and several other companies from Markham to help plan, grow and structure businesses.
The representatives of the visiting Pakistani IT companies also gave presentations to raise awareness about the scope of their work and relevant areas of expertise.

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Pakistan to capture a larger share in BPO Market

The global Business process Outsourcing (BPO) market is worth around $45 billion, with India having a 70% share of the overall market. India’s IT and BPO exports are over $30 billion per annum and the industry employs over 500,000 skilled workers.
Pakistan also has the potential to capture more of the market since it is a relatively new entrant and has an adequate supply of highly talented labour that can provide out-sourced services such as Customer Care, Payroll Processing and other Business Administration operations, in a number of industries like Telecom, Financial services, Healthcare, Consumer Goods and Media.
According to Nadeem Ilahi, Managing Director and Country Manager Pakistan at The Resource Group (TRG), a viable BPO industry in Pakistan is the best solution to employ the skilled youth and significantly enhance foreign exchange earnings of the country.

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Measure to boost Frontier’s export

Pakistan’s frontier province boasts of immense possibilities for developing exportable products, such as gems. A 22-member delegation including office-bearers of All Pakistan commercial Exporters Association (APCEA) met NWFP Governor owais Ahmad Ghani, to discuss this potential.
The Governor said that measures are being adopted to promote exports through land route to Afghanistan, adding that a Customs Complex at Torkham would be established, for which necessary allocations have already been made. The Complex will offer all the required facilities, including customs clearance, immigration, banks, etc.
The Governor added that other major activities for bringing improvement in export facilities are under way in the province. Several initiatives have been taken to ease the traffic congestion in Peshawar, the provincial capital. The diversion of Afghanistan, Hayatabad and Khyber pass-bound traffic, coming through Indus Highway, on Old Frontier Road and the construction of Northern Bypass as a part of the existing Ring Road, are important projects, Other measures, to promote exports in the province include up-gradation of training and trade facilities for polishing, display and export of precious and semi-precious stones
The Governor appreciated steps being taken by APCEA to organize the Annual Gems and Mineral Show in Peshawar. He further said that proposals relating to the establishment of an Export Display Centre in Peshawar would be considered and every effort would be made to meet the expectations of the traders and exporters of the province.

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176 billion rupees export refinance for textile sector

AThe textile sector has always been a major beneficiary of the incentives or schemes provided by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Under the Export Refinance Scheme (EFS), all eligible export-oriented sectors received an amount of Rs273 billion from the SBP and commercial banks, during the first three quarters of FY 2008. 65% of this (Rs176 billion) has been given to the textile sector at 7.5%, which is lower than the current six-month Karachi Inter-bank Offered Rate (KIBOR) of around 10.32%
The amount is the same as that provided to the textile sector during the corresponding period of FY07.The sector also availed more than Rs4 billion as long-term financing at 6.7% during the same period. The SBP sanctioned Rs8 billion under its new long-term Financing Facility (LTFF) for disbursement to the textile sector during January to June 2008.
The value-added sectors of the textile group benefit the most from low mark-up financing the most from low mark-up financing. LTFF is available to the value-added sector including fabrics, garments made-ups, towels and art silk & synthetic textile sub-sectors of textile.

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