ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Commerce is pursuing an application for the inclusion of Pakistan in the list of importers of rice maintained by the Central Tendering Committee of Qatar. In this connection, a formal application has been moved to the CTC and all the available diplomatic channels are being utilized in this regard. The CTC was established in 1976 in Doha and is responsible for all government related bids, contract awards and contract processes.
Qatar had been a major rice buyer of Pakistan as Pakistan exported over 50,000 metric ton of basmati rice worth $50 million along with 36,000 metric ton of non-basmati rice worth more than $21 million in the year 2012-13. But the export graph went downward on to 15,000 metric ton of basmati rice between July 2014 and May 2015.
A source at the ministry told Customs Today that the ministry was taking strenuous efforts to enhance Pakistan’s trade volume with Qatar which is a peninsular Arab country whose terrain comprises arid desert and a long Persian (Arab) Gulf shoreline of beaches and dunes.
Counting the measures taken by the ministry in this regard, the source said that ministry had fully activated the commercial section at the Pakistani embassy in Doha. Visits of various trade delegations were arranged to Qatar the previous year and more delegations are planned during the remaining months of 2016-17.
The source said that the ministry has facilitated the participation of Pakistani companies in the trade exhibitions held in Qatar, including Project Qatar, 2016 and Qatar International Agriculture Exhibition, 2016. Pakistani companies would participate in Project Qatar 2017. The private sector cooperation between the two countries is being encouraged. FPCCI and Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industries (QCCI) entered into an agreement for establishment of Joint Business Council (JBC) in 2000.
Similarly, at the forum of 4th session of Pak-Qatar joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) held recently in Islamabad, the source said that both sides thoroughly discussed matters pertaining to enhance trade cooperation between the two countries.
