High Commissioner of Canada Perry J Calderwood sent a message here on the occasion of celebration of 70 years of Canadian-Pakistani trade relationship. According to the message received here, he said, "Following on Pakistan's 70th anniversary of independence, I am delighted that today we celebrate 70 years of the Canadian-Pakistani trade relationship. Canada named George Browne as acting Trade Commissioner in Karachi on September 1, 1947.
On his return home in 1950, Browne was cited in the newspapers stating that the future for trade between Canada and Pakistan was encouraging. His words, spoken so many years ago, were auspicious.
"Canadians have become eager consumers of Pakistani textiles, apparel, leather goods, and plastics. Over the past few years, trade in each direction has surged. This is a testament to the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of our two business communities. Canadians are very pleased that trade between our two peoples continues to grow, reaching over $1.4 billion in 2016. "Canadian goods and services also have a long and varied history of responding to market demands in Pakistan. Our Trade Commissioner Service prides itself on offering hands-on knowledge of international markets to Canadian companies through a global presence in 161 cities, including Islamabad and Karachi.
"Take transportation - when you last rode the train, say from Rawalpindi to Lahore, we shared the journey with you. The Canadian Locomotive Company's steam locomotives arrived in Pakistan in the latter half of the 1940s, hauling goods and passengers around the country for years. In the 1980s, Canadian Pacific Railways helped Pakistan plan its computerised management information system for 8,800 kilometres of track. And today, Canada's Bombardier is part of the consortium upgrading the rail signal system. "Pakistan cuisine is renowned and Canada is proud to be in the kitchen with you. Have you ever eaten chickens raised in Pakistan? The first-ever commercial chicken farm in this country was a joint venture between Pakistan International Airlines and Canada's Shaver Poultry Breeding Farms. It became a model for other Pakistani farmers and by the 1970s was winning awards.
"If you enjoy locally-grown vegetables, you may benefit from De Havilland Canada's crop-dusting DC-2 Beaver aircraft, sold to the Collector of Central Excise and Land Customs in Karachi in the 1950s and still in use today over the fields of Punjab. Our top exports to Pakistan now include canola, lentils, chickpeas and soya beans. You may be enjoying a taste of Canada when next you and your children sit down for a bite of Daal or Channa chat.
"One of the key factors for economic growth and commercial innovation is, of course, energy. Many Canadians have been involved in Pakistan's power supply and distribution efforts, notably in hydroelectricity.
"Under the Colombo Plan, we financed both the 1950s and the 1980s phases of the Warsak Dam on the Kabul River. Pakistan's first hydroelectric dam, it improved electricity and irrigation for countless homes, farms and businesses. We were also pleased to fund the hydro generators for the Indus River's Tarbela Dam in 1963-64.
"As a committed party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - the Paris Agreement - Canada has a growing interest in clean energy as a strategy for fighting climate change. We are pleased that agreements with the governments of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have opened the door to Canadian companies building the equipment for upto 1,000 megawatts of solar power in each province to help Pakistani citizens and business centres.
"It would be difficult to guess how many Pakistani citizens have benefited from these economic efforts over the past seven decades. The number will be in the millions upon millions, including all those small business owners and long-distance truck drivers who use the several bridges Canada helped rebuild after the devastating 2010 floods.
"Today, Canadian companies continue to meet with success in the Pakistani market. "For example, Second Cup is a well-known coffee chain in our home country, and Pakistanis can now enjoy Second Cup's beverages in Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot and Gujrat. Paramount Fine Foods began as a single restaurant in Mississauga and now tantalizes taste buds in Lahore and Karachi.
"In recent years, Canadian companies have helped draft Pakistan's telecom liberalization policy so that family and friends can stay in touch more easily. They have worked with farmers to improve the dairy capacity of local cows so that each animal can produce more milk. They have brought prized Canadian hardwood direct from the sawmills of Ontario and Quebec to the construction sites of this country. They have provided cancer treatment equipment to Pakistani hospitals to help save lives.
"Just this past July, Mississauga-based Chandler Packaging and Packages Lanka, a subsidiary of Packages Limited, Pakistan, announced what may be the most recent Pakistani-Canadian joint venture. "And I myself was delighted to visit Karachi in August for ABAD EXPO 2017. Steel Canada introduced its buckling-resistant bracing earthquake system, a product developed in collaboration with the University of Ottawa. This innovative approach to building has the potential to protect Pakistanis better against the dangers of earthquakes.
"The ties between our two countries continue to grow. As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said, "As our planet becomes increasingly interconnected, we need to promote strong, sustainable economic growth that works for everyone, and embrace the need to be socially and environmentally responsible. This is about creating jobs and opportunities for everyone, and building a healthier and more prosperous tomorrow for our children and grandchildren." I am sure that all Pakistanis share this vision for the future.
"Canadians are keen for good business opportunities abroad, and our Trade Commissioners are eager to match them with Pakistani contacts. "For more details on doing business with Canada, please visit us at www.pakistan.gc.ca. And on behalf of all Canadians, thank you to all of our Pakistani friends and business partners for 70 years of commercial successes. We look forward to working with you in the decades ahead."-PR
Comments
Comments are closed.