New Zealand Minister for Trade, Defence and Disarmament Philip Goff has said that an agriculture and livestock sector delegation will visit Pakistan in May to see possibilities of co-operation in these sectors. Addressing members of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Saturday.
He said that New Zealand has very strong agriculture, livestock, dairy farming, fisheries and bio-power generation base and can help Pakistan in these sectors in a big way. He said that New Zealand produces half of milk produced in Pakistan but out of this production around 90 percent is exported. Major exports of New Zealand are dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, and machinery, including textile machinery.
He said that New Zealand is exporting Halal meat. In New Zealand, there are several shops, which offer Halal meat to their customers. Philip emphasised the need for increasing tourism. Both countries have historical, natural beauty and religious sites which people like to see, he added. He said that another impotent sector in which both countries have bright chances for co-operation is education.
He invited Pakistani students to come to New Zealand for higher education. Out of 200 world top class universities, three are located in New Zealand. New Zealand was also examining possibilities of establishing its university branches in Pakistan, he added.
He recalled that the President of Pakistan, during his visit to New Zealand in 2005, visited educational institutions and announced to give 200 scholarships to Pakistani students for higher education in New Zealand universities. Out of these 200 scholarships 30 have already been given and 30 more are likely to be given soon. He advised the business community to take advantage of world's lowest import tariff of New Zealand to boost exports from Pakistan.
He said that the tariff on import of textile products in only around 10 percent and this provides a good opportunity to penetrate NZ market. He said that over past 20 years the government had transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionaire British market access to a more industrialised, free market economy that can compete globally.
Regarding two-way trade, he said that the balance of trade is in favour of New Zealand as its import from Pakistan stand at 36.13 million dollars whereas exports from New Zealand to Pakistan amount to 38.56 million dollars.
Welcoming the guests, KCCI President Majyd Aziz sought help of New Zealand fisheries sector to revamp Pakistan's fisheries sector on modern lines to meet world standard.
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