KARACHI: Foreign delegates from China, Hong Kong, Germany, Tunisia and Indonesia have expressed seriousness towards undertaking joint ventures and exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly Karachi where the mainstream business and economic activities continue to take place in full swing and the improved law & order situation has resulted in attracting many potential investors from around the world who are keen to initiate or expand business ties with their counterparts in Karachi.
While exchanging views with President Karachi Chamber Muffasar Atta Malik, Senior Vice President KCCI Abdul Basit Abdul Razzak, Vice President M. Rehan Hanif and KCCI Managing Committee Members at the B2B sessions held at Karachi Chamber’s Pavilion at the ongoing 10th Expo Pakistan Exhibition, foreign businesspersons, investors and industrialists mostly inquired about the potential sectors, security situation, investment policies, business climate, taxation policies and the incentives being offered to foreign investors, besides seeking ways and means of how to create a strong liaison and improve collaboration between KCCI and other Chambers of Commerce around the world in order to facilitate trade and investments.
Leader of a delegation from Hong Kong and Vice President of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong (PCCHK), Dr. Ellen Lau, who was also accompanied by Consul General of Pakistan in Hong Kong Abdul Qadir Memon and other delegates, said that the delegation was looking forward for investment opportunities in the Health, Education, Infrastructure Development, Mining, Banking and other important sectors of the economy.
She said that Karachi city has developed very well and this was the right time to invest here. Keeping in view the improved situation, many Airlines from Hong Kong and China were pretty much interested in expanding their flight operations to Karachi. PCCHK and KCCI must work together and make collective efforts to facilitate trade and investment, she added.
On the occasion, Pakistan’s Consul General in Hong Kong Abdul Qadir Memon advised KCCI and PCCHK to jointly organize Trade & Investment Conference either in Karachi or Hong Kong which will not only help in bringing the business communities more close to each other but will also prove favorable in terms of exploring new avenues of trade and investment cooperation.
To a query, Abdul Qadir Memon said that Pakistan’s Embassy is working closely with the government of Hong Kong in order to ease the visa issuance process for the business and industrial community.
Ambassador of Tunisia, Adel Elarbi, while sharing views with KCCI Office Bearers, said that the business community of Pakistan can surely benefit by expanding trade and investment ties with Tunisia which is very near to European and African Markets.
He said that Pakistan and Tunisia have been enjoying excellent relations and the Tunisian business community often visits Pakistan but not much trade missions from Pakistan were visiting Tunisia which requires attention. “We hope to see business community of Karachi Chamber visiting Tunisia in near future. The business communities will have to meet each other more frequently as we have a lot to learn from each other’s experience”, he added.
Referring to the negotiations for signing Preferential Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Tunisia, he hoped that this PTA between the two brotherly countries will be inked soon which will open a host of opportunities for enhancing trade. “Being an agricultural country, Tunisia produces some of the best and finest quality dates, olive oils and other agricultural commodities which can be supplied to Pakistan”, he added.
Tunisian Ambassador assured to give special treatment in visa issuance to the businessmen and industrialists of Karachi who want to explore Tunisia trade, investment and tourism opportunities.
A German delegation, which was led by Manager International Affairs Metro AG, Moritz Seiler stated that although Metro was successfully doing business in Pakistan but now they want to further expand their operations by opening more franchising stores.