President of Mauritius, Dr Ameenah Gurib Fakim has said that her government plans to organise "Pakistan Week" in Mauritius from August 14 to 21, on the occasion of Pakistan National Day. While exchanging views at a meeting with a delegation of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), she invited KCCI members to participate in Pakistan Week in Mauritius which will also provide an opportunity to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with KCCI.
Ministry Counsellor Mauritius, Lam Chiu Yee, Head of Department - Board of Investment Mauritius, Nirmala Jeetah, Secretary General of Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Raju Jaddoo, President Mauritius-Pakistan Joint Business Council, Shezad Ahmed, High Commissioner of Mauritius in Pakistan, Yusuf Elahee and Honorary Consul General of Mauritius in Karachi, Sohail Yasin Suleman were also present on the occasion.
Chairman Businessmen Group and former president KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli, former Presidents KCCI Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki and Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Younus Muhammad Bashir, Senior Vice President KCCI Zia Ahmed Khan, Vice President KCCI Muhammad Naeem Sharif, former presidents KCCI, AQ Khalil, Mian Abrar Ahmed, Haroon Agar, Abdullah Zaki and Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra along with KCCI managing committee members were also present.
President Ameenah further informed that this was her fourth visit to Pakistan and first visit as the Head of State. She said that Pakistani business community can benefit from the location of Mauritius, which is at the crossroad, by entering into new business ventures.
She was of the opinion that although the two countries have been enjoying good relations and the situation in Pakistan is generally getting better but the trade figures are not matching and not really reflecting the reality of what can happen.
Commenting on her last two days experience in Pakistan, she said that there was a lot of vibrancy in Pakistani businesses and they were impressed to see the quality of products being produced in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Chairman Businessmen Group and former president KCCI Siraj Kassam Teli said that the visit of President of Mauritius to Karachi would surely help in exploring ways to enhance trade and bring the business communities more close to each other.
He informed her that Karachi Chamber's Research & Development Cell has been conducting extensive research by effectively monitoring the trade trends in more than 200 countries around the world including Mauritius, which are updated on regular basis.
The special reports on the impact of Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) and Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with friendly countries and other trade-related data is regularly being maintained and updated by KCCI's R&D Cell which can also be used for identifying hurdles and the possibility of enhancing trade.
Earlier, while welcoming the Mauritian President, President KCCI Younus Muhammad Bashir appreciated the support and cooperation being extended by the Mauritian government to Karachi Chamber through the Embassy of Mauritius in Pakistan and its Consulate in Karachi.
Commenting on Pakistan-Mauritius trade and economic relations, he pointed out that during FY2015, Pakistan exported goods worth $36.23 million while its imports stood at $5.63 million.
"Although the potential to enhance trade between the two countries exists but it is not reflecting in the trade volume. In this regard, more aggressive strategy along with collective efforts are needed to improve trade and investment ties between the two countries", he said, adding that through effective analysis and utilisation of trade promotion platforms, the bilateral trade can be increased.-PR
Comments
Comments are closed.