LAHORE: Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has been endeavoring to provide assistance to business forums to help enhance the pace of trade development in the country.
TDAP Lahore’s Director General Mian Riaz Ahmad stated this in a meeting with M/s Alibaba.com Pakistan Country Managers Mr. Denny Wang and Mr. Patrick here on Wednesday. The DG said that under Emerging Pakistan initiative as envisaged by Federal Commerce Secretary Younus Dagha, was a way forward in focusing and projecting Pak products abroad that would help enhance country’s trade volume.
On this occasion, Mr. Denny Wang said that M/s Alibaba.com was providing trade services to business community. He appraised the DG that how business community could use this platform and gain new skills, claiming that it would help them in understanding latest business trends. He was of the view that Lahore was considered as the most energetic city, deemed as Pakistan’s economic center as well, citing that this city was also full of qualified SMEs, and “For sure we can find some way to help them improve their businesses.”
Denny Wang and Patrick sought TDAP support in maintaining a strong liaison between Alibaba and leading companies in key sectors of economy as well as the Authority’s support in holding seminar, workshop etc for Lahore SMEs to empower them for exportation and e-Commerce. TDAP Director Ms. Naheed Akhtar, Deputy Director Ms. Adeela Younis, and Assistant Managers Ms. Ravia Khalid and Raheel Rao also attended the meeting.
A relevant piece published earlier: Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani and 25 others (that include among others former and serving senior TDAP officials) have been indicted by a federal anti-corruption court here today in a (Trade Development Authority of Pakistan) trade subsidy scam case. According to details the 26 accused were involved in approval and disbursement of billions of rupees worth of fraudulent trade subsidies (during PPPP government) to phony companies through conjured-up claims and backdated cheques. It is pertinent to mention here that FIA had charge-sheeted Gillani in 25 cases but he pleaded not-guilty claiming that the allegations were false. His advocate maintained: “He has been named in these cases due to political reasons and because of people harboring ill intentions against him.” (29th of March, 2018)
