New Pakistani envoy explores business scope in Zimbabwe

Newly appointed Pakistani Ambassador to Zimbabwe Rifat Iqbal on Monday met Regional Vice-President of Matabeleland Chapter of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce Obert Sibanda to exchange information on business opportunities.
Rifat said Pakistan had maintained a cordial and friendly relationship with Zimbabwe, adding that she intended to strengthen that relationship by improving trade in both countries.
"We want to focus on how we can broaden and expand exports to Zimbabwe and how Zimbabwe can also improve exporting to us and vice-versa. So we have been sharing information on the products that we can explore," she said.
She added that although Zimbabwe had its own vibrant textile industry, there were a number of excellent textile products that Pakistan could export to Zimbabwe.
"One of our targets will be the textile industry where we could export things like yarn, shirts and cloth. I understand that Zimbabwe also imports rice from my country, so we would like to increase exports on that product as well as sports goods, tractors, car parts, ferns, carpets and electrical gadgets," she said.
Rifat urged local business people to go and exhibit at the Expo Park, Pakistan's equivalent of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF), which would run from 29 March to April 2, saying it would be a good business opportunity.
"As part of plans for the immediate future, we invite people to come to the Expo Park 2006 that is held in Karachi. So we invite business people and entrepreneurs from Zimbabwe to come and exhibit and explore trade opportunities in Pakistan," she said.
Sibanda said they were looking forward for having a strategic relationship with Pakistan. "We want to formulate relationships with the chamber of commerce in that country so that we can share business information. We also want to have a joint venture in exchanging skills, expertise and manpower so that we can improve trade between our countries," he said.
Obert Sibanda said he and the ambassador had discussed the exploration of toll manufacturing and intended to link up with Pakistani firms that had the expertise and resources in that area.
"We intend to identify the products that they can share their knowledge with us in manufacturing. We are looking forward to solidifying and cementing our relationship so that we can gain expertise that is needed for us to manufacturing certain products that we can export," he said.