PRGMEA for aggressive marketing plan to boost exports

SIALKOT (Agencies): Chief Coordinator Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) Ijaz A Khokhar on Sunday underscored the need for introducing "One Window Operation" to prevent tax evasion. The government will collect more tax if the initiative is launched in the country, he added. Talking to reporters, he said that there was a great need for launching an aggressive marketing plan to boost exports of the country. He said that currently our exports are showing a downward trend. Ijaz said that it was encouraging that the government had decided to constitute a Business Advisory Council to fix the problems and difficulties of the business community on priority basis. Meanwhile, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will organise a two-day handicrafts exhibition in Sialkot on Monday (today). More than thirty businesswomen of Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot and other cities would display their products.

The exhibition will comprise of garments, textiles, fashion wear, handicrafts, home decor, sportswear, leather products, food items, jewellery, leather accessories, pharmaceutical and herbal products, confectioneries and cosmetics.

Punjab agri dept to plant one million saplings

LAHORE (APP): Punjab Agriculture Department has launched a tree plantation campaign under Prime Minister's "Green Pakistan Programme". Punjab Agriculture Secretary Wasif Khursheed said on Sunday that saplings were being planted throughout the province as per the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said that under the programme, the Agriculture Department had been given a target to plant one million saplings which, he added, would be achieved with the grace of Allah Almighty. The secretary said the campaign would leave a positive impact on the ongoing climate changes besides improving agriculture. He said more plants would help increase fertility of the land in the province and ongoing heatwave would decrease. The campaign would result in cooling down of the atmosphere and the roots of the trees also help in stopping land erosion, he added. Wasif Khursheed appealed the masses to support the Agriculture Department in accomplish its task.

FTO improves mechanism for deciding complaints

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Tariq Ahad Nawaz, advisor to Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), has said that we have improved the mechanism of processing and deciding complaints against tax officials for providing quick relief to the complainants, a senior official said.  The time of deciding a case has been reduced from 46 days to 40 days in one year which will be reduced further with the help of stakeholders, he said while speaking to a seminar organised by Rawalpindi Islamabad Tax Bar Association (RITBA). Tariq Ahad Nawaz said that lack of coordination between federal and provincial tax authorities is resulting in disputes and litigation while different software being used by tax departments are not properly integrated. During question and answer session, lawyers said tax officials have no regard or respect for the directives of FTO as seeking the help of Ombudsman results in more harassment like notices of previous years and other tactics.

The tax experts also noted that FBR should be depoliticised and powers of its intelligence department should be curtailed to avoid harassment of the business community to encourage compliance.

Holding back refunds is counterproductive as the economy should not be damaged for the sake of a false impression of improved revenue collection, they demanded, they said.

Qatar plans to invest billions of dollars in Germany: Report

FRANKFURT (Reuters): Qatar plans to invest billions of dollars more in Germany and will broaden its focus to the country’s medium-sized companies, business newspaper Handelsblatt said in a report due to be published on Monday. Citing diplomatic and company sources, the paper said that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and private sector players would be looking at Germany’s “Mittelstand” manufacturing companies. “We see Germany as a key player in the world economy and are looking at the German market with great optimism,” Handelsblatt quoted Qatar’s Minister of Finance Ali Sharif al-Emadi as saying. “Our delegation will be announcing big new investments,” he said in an interview in the Handelsblatt report ahead of a Qatar Germany Business and Investment Forum in Berlin on Sept. 7. Qatar, the world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), has shareholdings in companies including Volkswagen , Deutsche Bank, Siemens, Hochtief and SolarWorld.

Handelsblatt calculated that they jointly amounted to $20 billion.

Al-Emadi said Qatar was happy with its investments, despite having incurred some losses from Solarworld and Deutsche Bank engagements. “We have a lot of stamina, and that goes for all sectors,” he said.

Germany’s economy ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request to comment.