Mehdi Pour Ghazi, Head of Industrial Committee of Tehran Chamber of Commerce and Vice-President of Iranian National Plastic Association, has said that good opportunities exist for enhancing trade between Pakistan and Iran. He said that the traders of both countries were finding it difficult to deal with each other due to sanctions on Iran, which would be lifted anytime soon.
Ghazi, who led an Iranian delegation during his visit to KCCI, said that Iranian businessmen, industrialists and traders were looking forward to establish healthier trade relations with their counterparts in Pakistan. The Iranian delegation visited KCCI to explore possibilities of enhancing business and trade ties with Pakistan. Commercial Counsellor of Iranian Consulate in Karachi, Sattar Soltan Shahi, President KCCI Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra, Senior Vice-President KCCI Muhammad Ibrahim Kasumbi, Chairman KCCI Sub-Committee on Diplomatic Affairs, Naeem Sharif and KCCI Managing Committee members also attended the meeting.
The Iranian delegation, comprising manufacturers and exporters of plastic, petrochemicals, polymer and other similar goods inquired about Pakistan's customs tariff policies. President KCCI Iftikhar Vohra said that Iranian businessmen would absolutely face no problems in transporting goods to Pakistan if they met all the required documents.
Vohra said that the sanctions on Iran and suspension of L/C had terribly affected trade between the two countries but the situation was likely to improve once the sanctions were lifted. "Lack of proper banking channel between Pakistan and Iran keeps business activities very limited which will also be resolved soon," he added. The KCCI President also underscored the need to bring down an exorbitant sales tax of 17 percent on import of raw material to a single digit, which should preferably be brought down to 7 percent. "Reduction in sales tax on import of raw material will not only help encourage value-addition, industrial expansion and create employment opportunities but will also help in dealing with the menace of smuggling, which has been terribly affecting performance of some of the important sectors of Pakistan's economy," he added. He further said that both countries must make efforts and devise a stringent strategy to deal with smuggling.
He also appreciated the role being played by the Iranian Consulate in Karachi towards improving trade ties between the two brotherly countries, besides extending full support and co-operation to KCCI members. Speaking on the occasion, Senior Vice-President KCCI Muhammad Ibrahim Kasumbi stated that there was a huge potential to enhance trade between Pakistan and Iran. He was of the view that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was likely to be linked with Iran as well, would surely open up new avenues of investment and business expansion in the entire region.-PR
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