Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) plans to launch an aggressive marketing initiative for increasing exports to African countries, in collaboration with Engineering Development Board (EDB). For this purpose, the authority has arranged a seminar, "African Initiative" on May 30 at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which will be chaired by Minister of State and TDAP Chief Executive Tariq Ikram.
Pakistan's Roving Ambassador to Africa Hamid Kidwai has been invited to share his experience about the enormous potential and opportunities in African market. LCCI President Shahid Hassan, TDAP Executive Director Marketing Riaz Khan and EDB CEO Abdul Hafeez Chaudhry will also present their views on the subject.
Leading industrialists from various engineering sectors, including electrical capital goods, domestic appliances, fans, pumps, surgical instruments, cutlery, ceramics, agricultural implements, heavy engineering, automotive parts and components including cast and machine parts, plastic and rubber parts, gears and sheet metal parts etc have been invited to share their vision to increase exports of engineering goods and services to African region.
According to TDAP, Hanover Messe 2007 Germany, the joint initiative of TDAP and EDB, met unprecedented success this year where 68 engineering companies from Pakistan participated as exhibitors.
Organising repeated participation at leading technology trade fairs have been instrumental in branding the engineering image of Pakistan and its emergence as competitive outsourcing destination for a vast range of goods and services. The African initiative aims at boosting Pakistan's exports by achieving greater penetration for engineering products in the African region, where certification and standards regulations are not so stringent.