The Furniture Sector in Pakistan: Export performance and ... - TRTA i

mostly on demand basis and not on regular basis). There are, however, some firms who claim
to have voluntarily provided information on yearly basis.
Information about the concerned government agencies/departments
A majority of exporters generally had an idea that complaints/suggestions about the WTO can
be made to Ministries of Commerce & Industries or TDAP. They were also aware of websites
of the concerned government organizations. However, according to them they had not made
complaints/suggestions to any body/institution so far. Few had, however, consulted the
Chamber to find answers for their queries.
On the other hand, some entrepreneurs thought that there was no organization to whom they
can make complaints nor they were aware of any procedure for making their voices heard by
the relevant government authorities. In short, information about reaching out to the
government authorities or trade bodies is not even. More enlightened entrepreneurs are
aware of what to do while others remain ignorant of avenues of articulation, available to them.
3.2.3 Information flow – downwards – from WTO via government to
companies
Complaints about the lack of information about the WTO
All the exporters who were interviewed claimed that no information related to the WTO issues
was readily available. Few were not even familiar with the term “WTO”. When asked whether
they were aware of the WTO Cells in the Ministry of Commerce, TDAP, Planning &
Development Departments of Provincial Governments, or Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s
WTO Cell, they replied in negative.
One of them, however, said that he gets information on the WTO through newspapers,
association meetings & websites. He normally checks the websites of the association after two
– three months.
Knowledge about implications of the WTO Agreements
Very few exporters were aware of the specific WTO Trade Agreements and their implications
for the Pakistan’s furniture industry. Those who claimed to be knowledgeable of the
agreements said that they were generally aware of decreasing, tariffs and increasing prospects
of imports. They recognized that markets under the WTO trading dispensation would become
even more open in days to come.
Downwards flows
With respect to downward flow, the website of Ministry of Commerce
(www.commerce.gov.pk) and other Ministries, TDAP (www.tdap.gov.pk) and WTO Cell of
the Government of the Punjab (www.wtopunjab.gov.pk) have been playing a useful role.
However, here again it was found that various notifications issued by the WTO Secretariat and
which were regularly sent to the Ministry of Commerce were not put on the website. The plea
taken in this regard was that this information was available from the WTO website. It is,
however, felt that the Government of Pakistan and its export/trade development organizations
must play a more proactive role. The WTO in collaboration with ITC and the European
56 International Trade Centre