FoodAg-Pakistan 2025: Jam Kamal praises progress of Pak cos

KARACHI: Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan Alyani on Tuesday expressed his satisfaction over the progress made by Pakistani companies over the last five years.

The value addition has increased and the quality of the products has improved. However, there is a big room for value addition and more exports.

Eight hundred and fifty delegates from many countries, including Canada, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, UAE, Africa, Poland, and Iran, have come to visit the International exhibition “FoodAg-Pakistan 2025,” which will continue till 27th November. The theme of this expo is “Harvesting Innovation, Cultivating Sustainability.” There are 58 stalls.

He was talking to media Karachi Expo Centre after visiting the stalls of various food and agri products, and the related machinery and accessories spread over seven halls.

The Minister said the foreign delegates had no doubt seen a very big potential in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, and he was very happy.

All the stalls here, all the Pakistani companies, by providing better quality through value addition, have occupied space for Pakistan’s products on the shelves of foreign countries. It is a hard fact that we still need to significantly increase the volume and value addition, he said. though these companies faced many difficulties due to economic challenges, they have shown very good progress. The present government has extended all possible support to the private sector. Now, there are sustained policies leading to economic stability. There is an overall balance of government structural mechanisms and reforms.

He said Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, along with Field Marshal General Asif Muneer and the whole team including the provinces was working very hard to push things forward. This is Pakistan’s success. In every field, God willing, we are closely watching the overall economic challenges and taking timely corrective steps.

Pakistan was in the IMF program, and while staying within it and within these reforms, wherever there was space to support our industry, the government was moving it forward. Efforts were being made to reduce unnecessary burdens. Interest rates had come down, inflation had decreased.

He mentioned that on the demand by the exporters for the withdrawal of EFS surcharge, the Prime Minister took bold decision and repealed this surcharge. And, he added, similarly on the EDF fund and its surcharge, I think Pakistan was slowly and gradually moving towards new policy-reform targets amid many economic challenges.

The government was renegotiating or deliberating on the old free trade agreements. A new FTA with the GCC countries has recently been approved by the Cabinet. With the United States, Pakistan has an investment and trade agreement. With Central Asian countries, you have seen progress. “For the first time, we have made a road map with the UK, on which our technical committee, at the Secretary level, has met and created a way forward.”

Jam Kamal said in ASEAN and Africa, which is new market for us, Pakistan has gained big space in the recent past. Recently, we held a single-country exhibition in Ethiopia.

Bangladesh normalizing relations with Pakistan again and bilateral trade was increasing. If all these things are taken together, the country is on the path that brings progress and brings stability. There was significant improvement in macro-economic indicators and also on foreign diplomatic front. “Let me make this clear. In any country, macro-stability is the most important thing. When there is macro-economic stability, your LCs, your banks’ payments, your import structure and your policies are balanced, then in the second stage you go towards micro-management and micro-reforms. But our government has taken both together. The federal and provincial governments are working together.”

The Federal Commerce Minister said the Prime Minister had close liaison with the traders and industrialists’ community, and on his foreign trips, he took their representatives along. And now, all the committees formed by the Prime Minister are being headed by the private sector. They identify problems, create a way forward, and ensure its implementation.

To a question, the Minister said Afghanistan had lost access to its market and was looking for new markets. It was not easy to get new market access.

He said that sometimes dollars are not everything. Pakistan’s security and stability are our top priority. And if we don’t get assurance and security on that point, then Pakistan will be forced to take some steps. “In my opinion, our first priority is security, Pakistan’s protection and eliminating terrorism. Yes, if good relations with Afghanistan are built on this understanding, Pakistan will open trade. But someone must come to us, talk on this issue, and implement it — then, God willing, Pakistan will respond well.”

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025