Page 10 - January-February-2021
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                     Pakistan witnesses a 5.5%                                                                                                 The U.S.


                     increase in exports and $2                                                                                                   quickly



                                million trade orders                                                                                          rejoined




             Good news for Pakistan as the country witnessed a 5.5 percent increase in exports and received trade orders
               worth 2 million dollars, told Aliya Hamza Malik, Parliamentary Secretary for Textile, Commerce, Industries            Agreement,
                                            Production and Board of Investment.

                 By putting a ban on imported luxury items and trying to increase the exports out of the country, the                 a move that
                 government kickstarted Industrialization. The Ministry of Commerce set up a “Look Africa Policy” to
             strengthen the trade ties with the Arab countries in Africa. Two new Commercial Sections in Egypt and Algeria
                                                 in 2020 were also set up.                                                                     is highly
              On the other hand, Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce and Investment, notified
              that trade order worth 2 million dollars were received by Pakistan companies and 3 million dollars’ worth of
                        deals were under process in the International Trade Fair held in Khartoum (Sudan).                          appreciated
             “I am glad to share that as a part of the Ministry of Commerce’s Look Africa Policy initiative launched in 2017,
               Pakistan has successfully participated in the International Trade Fair at Khartoum (Sudan) was held from           by the World
                                          January 21-28 2021” Razak Dawood said.



                                                                                                                                    World leaders welcomed President Biden’s move to   Markus Beyrer, director-general of BusinessEurope,
                                                                                                                                    rejoin the Paris climate accord within hours of his
                                                                                                                                                                                     an umbrella organization for E.U. national chambers
                 ADB sanctions a 5-year partnership                                                                                 inauguration but meeting the U.S.’s commitments to   of commerce, said, “It is obvious we will only be
                                                                                                                                                                                     successful globally if we have the major players on
                                                                                                                                    reduce greenhouse-gas emissions promises to be
             plan to recover and improve Pakistan’s                                                                                 challenging.                                     board. The USA return “can bring us back on track.”
                                       economic growth                                                                              The Paris climate agreement is a joint effort to   Last year, U.S. emissions were 21.5% below 2005
                                                                                                                                    significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
                                                                                                                                                                                     levels, according to a preliminary estimate by the
                                                                                                                                                                                     energy and economics research firm Rhodium
                                                                                                                                    2050 in a bid to contain the rise in global
                                                                                                                                    temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius,   Group, not on track to meet the country’s target of
             A 5-year country partnership strategy (CPS) has been sanctioned by The Asian Development Bank (ADB) to                 and preferably to no more than 1.5 degrees, to limit   26% to 28% reduction by 2025—and 80% by 2050.
            recover and rebuild the economic stability of Pakistan. Pakistan’s growth was stunted in the beginning of 2020          the impacts of climate change.                   Global emissions figures, including those of the
              when Covid-19 was discovered and the pandemic took the world by storm. Several industries closed down                                                                  U.S., fell sharply in 2020, mostly due to
             resulting in people losing their jobs. Profits were compromised as the panic resulted in high prices. In all, the      China and other nations have recently increased   pandemic-related shutdowns of travel and
            balance was toppled over. The aim of CPS is to put everything back into place by creating jobs and expanding            their pledges to do more to tackle climate change.   economic activity. They are expected to rebound this
                                 economic opportunities, as stated in an ADB press statement.                                       Corporations are heavily investing in the technology   year as the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines helps
                                                                                                                                    needed to run the global economy with fewer      restore more-normal levels of economic activity.
             The focus and priority of ADB will be on the three interlinked factors that will help the country grow. Economic       greenhouse-gas emissions. But global emissions
              management, improving the country’s human capital development and bringing positive competition in the                continue to rise, and groups tracking progress   While Mr. Biden faces challenges in enacting an
             development of private sector which will be done through building livable cities, promoting renewable energy           question whether many of the countries that have   ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gases,
                                   and energy efficiency, and investing in rural infrastructure.                                    signed the Paris agreement are currently on track to   including a thin majority in Congress, the U.S.
                                                                                                                                    hit the targets they set to reduce their share. Still,   business community increasingly supports climate
               “As with many countries in the region, COVID-19 has affected Pakistan, revealing the extent to which the             with China, the European Union, and the U.S. all   actions. Last fall, the Business Roundtable said it
               population is exposed to economic and social vulnerabilities. The new CPS 2021–2025 will build greater               focused simultaneously on this issue, there was   supported the U.S.’s Paris commitment and
              resilience of the population and help tackle Pakistan’s persistent structural challenges,” said ADB Director          cautious enthusiasm that progress could be made.  endorsed a price on carbon emissions.
                                      General for Central and West Asia Eugene Zhukov.

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