Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has organised an awareness and briefing session on the Preferential Trade Access Database (PTAD) for the business community in Islamabad. The session was held at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and brought together business representatives who wanted to learn how the database can support their export activities. ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia appreciated the initiative taken by TDAP and the efforts being made to facilitate traders through easier access to preferential trade information. His remarks reflected the interest of the local business community in tools that can reduce the time and effort needed to understand the terms on which Pakistani goods can enter overseas markets. By hosting the briefing, the chamber gave its members a direct opportunity to hear about the database from the officials who are responsible for it and to ask questions about how it applies to their own products and target markets.
Secretary TDAP Sheryar Taj opened the technical discussion with an overview of PTAD and explained why it matters for exporters. He highlighted the role of the database in helping Pakistan make better use of its preferential trade agreements, which can give exporters favourable access to partner countries when the right information is available and the conditions are properly understood. Many exporters, especially smaller firms, may not always have the resources to study the details of each agreement, and a central database is intended to place that information in one location where it can be searched and used easily. His overview set out the purpose of the platform and the wider goal of increasing the number of businesses that take advantage of the opportunities already available to them.
A detailed presentation followed from Kamal Shaharyar, Consultant TDAP, who walked participants through the features and functionality of the database and explained the practical benefits it can offer to the business community. The presentation gave attendees a clearer picture of how the platform works in daily use, including how exporters can look for relevant trade information and apply it when planning shipments and approaching new buyers. Business representatives who attended the session appreciated the effort made by TDAP and acknowledged that PTAD can improve awareness, support exporters and help expand Pakistan’s access to international markets.
The session reflects a broader effort by TDAP to reach businesses directly through chambers of commerce and industry, where traders, manufacturers and service providers already gather and exchange information. Awareness sessions of this kind give exporters a chance to learn about available tools before they commit to new markets, and they help officials understand the questions and concerns that businesses face when dealing with trade rules. For Islamabad’s business community, the briefing at ICCI offered a practical introduction to a resource that can help companies plan more carefully and make fuller use of the trade access that Pakistan has secured through its agreements with partner countries.
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