'Visa biggest hurdle in Pak-Taiwan trade relations'

Overseas Pakistani businessmen said if trade relations with Taiwan were established the visa issue would have to be resolved on permanent basis.
They expressed such views during a dinner meeting in Taipei arranged by Syed Navaid Hatmi, Managing Director of Hatmi Style & Craft Inc, in honour of Pakistani business delegation, headed by FPCCI's former President Tariq Sayeed.
A 12-member Pakistan business delegation is on visit to Taipei to attend 21st conference of the Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry (CACCI), which commenced on November 1, 2006.
Syed Navaid Hatmi, who has been residing in Taiwan for the last three decades, said that Taiwan was a potential market with which trade could be augmented to the optimal level if Pakistani businessmen were given visa facility from their own country.
Pakistani businessmen are reluctant to visit Taiwan because they have to obtain visa from some other country", he said, adding that since the visa to Pakistani businessmen was issued from Saudi Arabia, the visits of Pakistani businessmen to Taiwan had been considerably reduced.
Pakistani businessmen in Taiwan requested the former FPCCI president to take up this matter with government officials. Another Pakistani businessman Mujahid Umar briefed the visiting delegation about the trade potential of Taiwan, which so far has not tapped by Pakistani businessmen in true perspective.
Presently, total trade of Taiwan was about $375 billion, including imports worth $175 billion, which showed the vast potential existed for bilateral trade between Pakistan and Taiwan.
They were of the opinion that if China, despite not having diplomatic relations, could be the largest export destination of Taiwan, then why could not Pakistan establish good trade relations with Taiwan. In 2005, exports from Taiwan to China accounted for $70 billion. Tariq Sayeed assured the businessmen that FPCCI would take up this matter with the government to at least facilitate businessmen with provision of visa from Pakistan.