Pakistan is focusing on the development of infrastructure, provision of road links and better communication facilities from Gwadar to border areas to facilitate Afghan trade, says the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Salman Shah, here on Thursday. He said "We want to provide preferential, low cost and hassle free access to Afghanistan through infrastructure development and lot of proposals will be discussed in the JMC in this regard."
He stated this while speaking at the inauguration of 4th session of Pak-Afghan Joint Economic Commission (JEC.
Pakistan attaches, he said, high priority for stability and economic development of Afghanistan, adding, "We have always been staunch supporters of the initiative of international community for reconstruction of Afghanistan."
As a result of the government's firm commitment and concerted efforts to facilitate and enhance trade with Afghanistan, the trade between two countries is likely to cross 1 billion dollar in near future, he maintained.
Advisor said Pakistani investors are keen to invest in the proposed Industrial Estate in Afghanistan as well as in the border areas of Pakistan. Dr Salman Shah said with fast growing and modern means of communication and construction of motorways, horizons of information technology are expanding rapidly.
"Pakistan is well placed to play a significant role in export of goods and services to the world community at much competitive rates," he said.
He added that Pakistan offers most attractive terms in the priority areas of corporate farming, information technology, oil and gas and small and medium enterprises.
"Joint Ministerial Commissions (JMCs) are always a source of augmenting bilateral co-operation, fuelling economic activity, cementing economic relationship, resolving problems and exploring new areas of co-operation, he added.
Dr Salman expressed the hope that this JMC would help reviewing progress on implementation status of already agreed decisions of the previous JMC.
The peculiar geopolitical environment in the region, Advisor to Prime Minister said, demands of both countries to explore mutual interest and devise strategy to exploit the new situation for larger benefit of the both countries' masses would culminate positive results.
Salam Shah at the occasion said, "This JMC is of crucial importance at this critical juncture of history because we need to identify specific areas of co-operation." He said smuggling has distortionary impact on smooth flow of trade, adding, there must be joint efforts from both countries to counter this menace.
Dr Salman Shah said Pakistan has most modern system of training in various fields and Afghan Government is looking for capacity building of its governance.
Pakistan is a vibrant and growing economy which offers ample opportunities of trade and investment, he said adding, Afghanistan traders and investors could capitalise on buoyant Pakistan economy.
"On the one hand Pakistan is a land of opportunities and on the other hand, for Afghanistan, it is a source of hassle free provision of goods and services at most competitive rates because of geographical proximity. Our mutual co-operation can do miracles for common man of the region," he added.
He assured the Afghan delegation that government would do all out effort to strengthen brotherly relationship between two countries.
"Our bilateral co-operation will provide ample space to our traders and investors to perform even better in a fast changing and competitive international environment, he added. Finance Minister of Afghanistan Dr Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi in his opening remarks said existing mutual brotherly relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan will flourish with the passage of time.
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