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Reconstruction Opportunity Zone
(ROZ) Initiative
Introduction
The U.S. Congress is actively considering legislation to
establish Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Pakistan and Afghanistan that will
significantly reinforce the Pakistani government's strategy to counter the insurgency. Under the ROZ strategy, a significant
number of goods including some textiles, manufactured or grown in designated sites (the ROZs) in Pakistan 's border area with
Afghanistan , as well as in Afghanistan , will be able to enter the U.S. market duty-free.
Successive Washington visits of Pakistani business
delegations, as well as inquiries from businesses to the trade office at the Pakistani Embassy confirm the strong interest of the
private sector in availing itself of this program. Experience
with similar programs elsewhere in the world demonstrates their value in dramatically expanding exports. The export growth will
generate much needed jobs and economic activity in the border
areas, countering the recruitment efforts of the insurgents and contributing to stability there.
The ROZ initiative needs to gain a positive vote in Congress
before it can be implemented. Bills have been introduced by Democratic Senator
Maria Cantwell of Washington State (S. 2776) and by Democratic Congressman Chris Van Hollen
of Maryland (H.R. 6387) and are working their way forward. Both bills have Republican sponsors, also. Because this is an
election year and because trade measures are difficult to move in this Congress, we believe that a strong, concerted Congressional
lobbying campaign by the Pakistani-American community across the U.S. will be a needed and effective reinforcement to our advocacy
efforts in Washington , D.C.
Process
The most effective lobbying is via a personal visit to
Washington to speak with the senator/congressman or the staff member in charge of foreign affairs
or trade issues. A phone call, letter or e-mail are other possibilities. (Please be sure to fax, rather than mail letters.
Security screening delays transmission of letters.) Be sure to let them know you are a constituent.
To maximize effectiveness, we suggest that you encourage business
associates, friends and others who share a desire to see ROZ legislation move forward to contact both senators and their
member of Congress.
To identify your representative and senators, click on
www.house.gov or
www.senate.gov and insert
your nine digit zip code or name of the state in which you
reside. The House of Representatives site also permits you to send an e-mail message directly from the site.
When you contact the senator or representative's office, be
sure to indicate the number of the bill – for contacts with senators it is S. 2776 and for representatives is it H.R. 6387. And
don't forget to mention that you are a constituent.
The Message
We believe the following general messages need to be conveyed in contacts
with members of Congress and staff:
·
The Reconstruction Opportunity Zone (ROZ) initiative will make
a very strong contribution to counter insurgency goals that are shared by the U.S. , Pakistan and Afghanistan .
·
Once enacted by Congress, ROZ industrial sites will provide
incentives for Pakistan 's private sector to create jobs and generate income that will effectively fight recruitment efforts of the
Taliban and al-Qaeda and stabilize the border.
·
We urge you to pass [S. 2776 for contacts with your senators
or H.R. 6387 for contacts with your representative] as soon as possible.
A background document is attached providing additional details that can
be used in your communications. If you would like to see the full bill text, click on
http://thomas.loc.gov/ and
insert the bill number (S. 2776 or H.R.6387) where shown.
Conclusion
Members of Congress listen closely to their constituents, so each contact
is very important to the overall effort. Remember: Our key objective is to cover as many of the 100 senators and 435
representatives as possible as quickly as possible via personal or other contacts by you, their constituents.
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