US "evaluating" Pakistan's Ukraine response

[PakSarZameen47]

‘US evaluating’ Pakistan’s Ukraine response | The Express Tribune

Top official says lack of predictability in govt policies impacting investment climate

tribune.com.pk

‘US evaluating’ Pakistan’s Ukraine response

Top official says lack of predictability in govt policies impacting investment climate

Shahbaz RanaMarch 08, 2022

A Ukrainian service member walks near a building destroyed by shelling. PHOTO:Reuters

ISLAMABAD:

The United States will be evaluating Pakistan’s response to the situation unfolding in Ukraine, said Christopher Wilson, the Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia, on Monday.

Wilson also urged the government to take steps aimed at stopping its departments from using pirated US-made software that were harming US interests. Pakistan’s biggest data hacking took place in August last year due to the Federal Board of Revenue’s decision to use pirated software.

In a virtual interaction with journalists after the 3rd round of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), Wilson said Pakistan’s economic relations with Russia did not enter into discussions, which were focused on the Pak-US economic relations. To a question whether the US would still trade with Pakistan if it goes ahead with plans to deepen economic ties with Moscow, Wilson said that the Office of the US Trade Representative focuses on trade and investment issues but not sanctions issues.
But “obviously we all will be evaluating the response of Pakistan and other governments to the broader situation unfolding in Eastern Europe”, said Wilson.

The US and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia aimed at crippling its economy. Pakistan is heavily reliant on the US and Europe for its trade and inflow of remittances. The EU remains the single largest trading partner of Pakistan as a block. “The US State Department has called for the need to show strong response against Russia, including economically,” said Wilson, and added Pak-US trade discussions were focused on taxation, transparency, good governance and intellectual property rights.

Total Pak-US bilateral trade is less than $8 billion, which the Assistant Trade Representative does not fully reflect the size of two economies. Christopher also said that unpredictable taxation policies of Pakistan were making the country less attractive for foreign investors.

“What we hear from the US investors that there is a general lack of predictability in applicability of taxes; there are often problems in payment of refunds and the concern is that there are frequent changes in tax arrangements that have the effect creating confusions among the investors and thereby diminishing Pakistan’s attractiveness as an investment locations.”

The Federal Board of Revenue has been using taxpayers’ money to inflate revenues. A tractor manufacturing company has announced to shut its plant due to refund problems. After failing to achieve its targets for two consecutive months, the FBR also resorted to slowing down the release of refunds in February to achieve a low monthly target. Refunds payments in February were roughly 35% less than the same month a year ago.

Wilson said that a lot of trade barriers in Pakistan are related to lack of clarity in regulatory decision making, lack of predictability in taxation, insufficient protection in intellectual property and all of those difficulties are impacting investment climate. The US expressed concerns over extensive use of pirated software, including by government agencies. “The government should only use licensed software in government computers,” said Wilson.

He said that Pakistan and the US were holding discussions under the TIFA after several years and it is now important to effectively re-launch the TIFA process. The discussions were “very productive” and there was “good relaunch of the process that both the governments place a lot of value”, he added.

“Our visit is part of the process of reinforcing trade and economic dimensions between the US and Pakistan relationship. Both the governments share an interest in deepening the economic dimension of our relationship. We made a big start today,” said Wilson.

He said that Pakistan and the US did not discuss the bilateral investment treaty because the Biden administration is not actively pursuing the BIT negotiations with any country in the world.

 

[arjunk]

Wilson also urged the government to take steps aimed at stopping its departments from using pirated US-made software that were harming US interests. Pakistan’s biggest data hacking took place in August last year due to the Federal Board of Revenue’s decision to use pirated software.

 

[RIP Pak LAW]

US proxies are all set to return back in Islamabad so this issue will be sorted out itself.

 

[hussain0216]

Pakistan is evaluating the U.S response to Kashmir

 

[Dual Wielder]

A bunch of hypocrites, what did they do when it came to Kashmir, Palestine etc.. ?

No wonder they desperate to remove the current sitting patriotic Government (PTI), and replace them with of one or more their cronies i.e. the so called 'opposition.' feudal lords who wouldn't think twice to betray their motherland whilst enriching themselves in the process.

 

[hunter_hunted]

Wilson also urged the government to take steps aimed at stopping its departments from using pirated US-made software that were harming US interests. Pakistan’s biggest data hacking took place in August last year due to the Federal Board of Revenue’s decision to use pirated software.

Damn this is shameful , What software they were using . I have feeling it was windows cracked version. On personal level it's ok but using in org never the less financial and security this is a big breach of security parameters

 

[Enigma SIG]

Pakistan is evaluating the U.S response to KashmirView attachment 822016

Beat me to it

 

[White privilege]

“The government should only use licensed software in government computers,” said Wilson.

 

[Wood]

This is not and will not be American priority any time soon

 

[FuturePAF]

Considering how Russia and Ukraine make up a third of global wheat supplies, Imran khan can say he thinks about the developing world that will go into famine if it stops buying from Russia.

Even the countries that have condemned Russia will still buy Russian wheat and oil. High wheat prices were one reason for the Arab spring, so countries around the world don’t have the means, like the developed world, to hold their noses and forgo Russian commodities.

More people in the developing world will die from this war then in Russia or Ukraine. 60 million people starved to death last year, how many more million have to starve this year before developed nations see the bind developing nations are in.

 

[mudas777]

A bunch of hypocrites, what did they do when it came to Kashmir, Palestine etc.. ?

No wonder they desperate to remove the current sitting patriotic Government (PTI), and replace them with of one or more their cronies i.e. the so called 'opposition.' feudal lords who wouldn't think twice to betray their motherland whilst enriching themselves in the process.

For the sake of the country health we can live with many things even cronies I could have cared less as long as Pakistan have benefitted in some ways. But one sees cronyism is being used to boast their own power, destroy the country economically and have only been used to rob the country of her resources. Have some respect for the soil where you are born and show some loving care attitude where your kids are going to grow up. Now chor's are using chor derwasa, there have to be some limit for stealing from the disposed.
Shame word is not for them look at the Dar he was giving interview on the BBC and how he was called out by the Sakar. Look at the Zubair Omar after raping women in the governor house still appearing on the TV sofa. Look at the Maryam Orangzaib getting caught repeatedly lieing and the next day they are again on the Pakistani's talks show with straight faces. Media, courts and law agencies have just washed there hands off from them to indict them all together. Pakistan society needs to take a collective decision and send them to Dubai once for all so filth can live there as they are not poor anyway just be out of the country will be good enough for me.

 

[Dalit]

We know what the Yanks are up to. Regime change in Pakistan.

 

[MultaniGuy]

Why should we care what USA says. We work for Pakistan's interests first.

 

[Abdul Rehman Majeed]

We know what the Yanks are up to. Regime change in Pakistan.

The target is Pakistan's nukes not regime change.

Why should we care what USA says. We work for Pakistan's interests first.

US will use Modi to start a war between Pakistan and India.

 

[MultaniGuy]

Sometimes I wish Pakistan would do dual nationality with China.

But unfortunately, our hypocritical and traitorous leadership would rather live in luxury in the West.