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Trade Delegation Fiasco in Moscow
IQBAL MIRZA
KARACHI: The visit of Pakistan’s trade delegation sent on exploration mission by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to Moscow has resulted in a big fiasco. The visit was arranged by TDAP from July 26 to August 1 to prepare recommendations for the forthcoming visit of the President of Pakistan to Russia scheduled for the third week of August.

The delegation comprised Farooq Afzal, Chairman, Pakistan Russia Business Council (PRBC) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Engr M A Jabbar, former Vice-President, FPCCI and well known trade analyst on matters related to tariffs and non tariff barriers and other non developmental blockades affecting smooth movement of goods and services and Qaisar Saleem Mirza, member, executive committee of sports goods manufacturers of Sialkot.

According to a message received here on Tuesday the delegation members checked out of their hotel on Tuesday and are returning back immediately. The delegation was to be headed by the Chief Executive, TDAP but due to unexplained reasons it remained without any leadership from either public sector or from private sector.

Initially TDAP had picked up individuals mostly from Pakistan Russia Business Forum (PRBF), who were also included in the delegation, apparently due to their close contact with the officials of TDAP, responsible for the arranging such visits.

The delegates on reaching Moscow, when found the leader of the delegation Syed Mohibullah Shah, Chief Executive, TDAP missing, were given the choice by Ilyas Ghauri, Trade Minister at Moscow Embassy from trade and commerce group services, to elect the leader of delegation for the visit due to unexplained and unknown reasons to justify the absence of head of the delegation.

At this juncture Engr Jabbar suggested that statutory obligation and legal position in such a vacuum needs to be filled in by FPCCI to lead the delegation. He said that members from PRBF other wise belong to a questionable sub group formation and as such FPCCI does not recognise their representation to talk on bilateral issues as spokesman for private sector.

The bearing of the situation well known to the Trade Minister, who was most of the time posted abroad, as commercial counsellor became hostage of his personal affiliation with the individuals from PRBF. Talking to Business Recorder from Moscow on telephone, Jabbar said that although while recognising obligation of the government to accept the fact that private sector should be represented through FPCCI, he preferred voting pattern and became chief election commissioner for seeking the success of qualification for trade leadership of the delegation. The persons in their individual capacity claiming to be representing PRBF eventually were favoured by Ilyas Ghauri Trade Minister at Moscow.

He explained to Engr Jabbar that he has got instructions from TDAP to do so and was not able to appreciate the legal position that on bilateral negotiations and understandings apex bodies takes the charge of talking for private sector of trade and industry.

Commenting on the situation Engr Jabbar said that FPCCI President has instructed not to participate in meetings with national chambers of Russian federation and elsewhere with the trade bodies under the imposed illegal act of Ilyas Ghauri who asked FPCCI members to visit different places and national chambers of Russian Federation and other regional chambers under the leadership of persons from business PRBF. He also instructed to call off the participation in activities and come back.

It is very strange that the apex body which is licensed by the Government of Pakistan since 1950 charters itself to represent the private sector of trade and industry related to including bilateral promotion of trade interest with overseas counterpart national chambers like of Russian Federation in this instant case.

However, FPCCI was not taken on board for preparing the recommendation for the visit of president of Pakistan with reference to trade facilitation and removal of blockades for tapping the available market of Russian Federation, with more than $600 billion of reserves. Most of the requirements of Russian market for consumer goods and food items is import based and most of the Russian exports of raw material, equipment and others is again cost competitive with reference to the western world and as well as Far East from where Pakistan meets its strategic requirements for value additions.

The present trade of Pakistan with Russia is six times in favour of Russia and many times with available gap for Pakistan to export its merchandise in a new outlook of open economy operation which Russian Federation is perusing. The trillion trade economy of Russia is shared by Pakistan by just less than 1 percent.

The ’10×10 syndrome’ of Pakistan economy based on 10 countries and 10 products needs to be restructured to market access, for which Russian Federation is averaging market for Pakistan goods if both the countries can strike a minimum of balance for facilitating imports an exports.

During the upcoming visit of President of Pakistan the home preparation by Trade Minister and Embassy was nil as the delegates were surprised to know that there is no working paper or fine tuned agenda for discussions before the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Russia.

In addition, Engr Jabbar said meeting with the External Economic International Department Government of Moscow was also proposed in the program without any in advance consensus on the issues as talking point. The Trade Minister living on the public exchequer money as roaming Ambassador to help in growth of export of Pakistan again surprised by saying that his research papers were sent to TDAP much before the visit of the delegation for sharing with the private sector.

However, he promised for delivery of the right up sent to TDAP for boggling the minds of the delegation. On the day of start of the meetings he provided some write up on major issues concerning trade and economic relations with Russia and Pakistan. Engr. Jabbar said that on the whole the Trade Ministry had arranged more meetings for serving the individuals instead of focusing on reasonable interaction with FPCCI counterpart national chamber, other regional chambers in the prefixes of propriety in Russia such as Tatrastan, St. Petersburg and Yekerinburg.

He said that now only the individuals claiming to be part of PRBF are meeting with the chambers, with no skill which FPCCI representatives are equipped with to talk with counter part private sector through chamber of commerce and industry. It is unfortunate but the personal likings and disliking in this case appear to be most favoured for PRBF and individuals and least is bothered for apex body.

Government would while believing in the rule of law and its implementation should also ask the commercial bureaucracy such as Trade Minister at Moscow to follow the rules of business and make demarcation between eligible representatives and non-eligible representatives. The visit of Pakistan President with such weak exploratory approaches may not give him strength to talk on the issues, which are consensus based on the private sector of both the countries.

Source: Business Recorder