Pakistan-Africa trade moot in Nairobi on January 30

Pakistan is all set to organise the first-ever conference on Africa in Nairobi (Kenya) under Look Africa Initiative on January 30-31, 2020. Pakistan's trade with Africa has remained stagnant at $3 billion per year from 2012-13 to 2016-17, and increased to $4.6 billion in 2018-19. Main reason for the low trade volume has been low level of engagement of Pakistan with Africa.

In order to enhance trade and increase outreach to major African economies, the Ministry of Commerce launched "Look Africa Initiative," which envisages various measures to enhance trade with Africa. In 2019, the Ministry of Commerce relocated six Commercial Sections from Europe to Africa taking the total number to ten, to cover top ten economies of Africa.

Under the "Look Africa Policy initiative" the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) is organising the Pakistan-Africa Trade Development Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, from 30 to 31 January 2020, which is the first of its kind, as over two hundred delegates (officials and businessmen) from twenty African countries, arranged by Pakistani Missions abroad, are going to participate in the Conference. The participating countries include: Pakistan, Kenya, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Niger, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Mauritius, Rwanda, Uganda, and Burundi.

The Advisor to PM on Commerce and Minister for Foreign Affairs are leading the Pakistani delegation. The Foreign Minister and Trade Minister of Kenya have confirmed participation and Kenyan government is providing full support for the event. The State Minister of Trade from Uganda is also going to attend the conference. The President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta will inaugurate the conference.

A delegation of over hundred leading Pakistani companies, in major export sectors as detailed below, with potential in Africa, has been arranged by TDAP: (i) textile and apparel; (ii) pharmaceuticals; (iii) agriculture (rice, sugar, wheat etc.); (iv) tractors and agricultural Implements; (v) banking and transportation; (vi) surgical instruments; (vii) leather & sports goods; (viii) light engineering and electronics; (ix) IT & software and (x) cement & construction services.

In the conference, Pak-Africa relations will be discussed, especially, ways and means to enhance trade, develop banking and transportation channels, improve engagement and connectivity and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers. A presentation on "business and investment opportunities in Pakistan" will be given, followed by sectoral presentations by Pakistani businessmen, presentations by African trading blocs/countries. In addition, to the conference, B2B, G2B and G2G meetings have also been arranged by the Pakistani embassy in Nairobi.