Office of the Pak-Turk Businessmen Association (PTBA) is being established in Faisalabad to bolter bilateral trade links in addition to helping Pakistani exporters to have enhanced access to international markets already explored by the Turkish businessmen, said Nida Yalmaiz secretary general PTBA.
Nida Yalmaiz visited Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) and discussed with President Engr Rizwan Ashraf the issues to ensure maximum participation of Faisalabad-based textile exporters in upcoming international event of "Turkey-World Trade Bridge-2015".
This is not a sort of exhibition but a well-organised business promotion activity. More than 20,000 B2B meetings are expected to be held between with potential textile importers and exporters from more than 130 countries across the world. This event scheduled to be held on March 17-18, 2015 in Istanbul is expected to provide an opportunity to Pakistani textile exporters dealing in readymade, textile, home textile, leather, textile chemicals and related machinery to develop their direct relation with international buyers.
Nida Yalmaiz termed Pak-Turk relations as more than excellent but said that we could not yet fully translate these brotherly relations in economic terms.
He said that focus of PTBA is not on promotion of bilateral trade but it was specifically working on enhancing Pakistani exports to Turkey in addition to facilitating Pakistani exporters to enter into international markets already explored by Turkish businessmen.
"We do business with other countries, but Pakistan is a special case where our approach is altogether different and here our objective is to strengthen Pakistan economically", he said and added that Turkish textile industry was in advanced stage. Earlier, 25 percent anti-dumping duty was levied on Pakistani textile exports to protect domestic industry of Turkey. However, it is now being withdrawn paving way for enhanced textile exports from Pakistan to Turkey.
Regarding "Turkey-World Trade Bridge-2015", he said that it wiould provide a unique opportunity to the Pakistani textile exporters to introduce their products and also get sizable export orders. Nida Yalmaiz said that an introductory function on "Turkey-World Trade Bridge-2015" will also be held in Lahore very soon and potential exporters including the office-bearers of FCCI will be invited to attend it. He said that time is very short for the preparation of this international event; hence interested exporters should start their preparations right now to participate in it.
He further told that PTBA was also arranging a tour of businessmen to Kenya and Tanzania. This tour is designed for Pakistani exporters to penetrate into emerging African markets. He said that two business entities from Faisalabad including Happilac have already confirmed their participation. Similarly, a tour of the Central Asian states was also at the anvil, he added.
He clarified that there was no economic clash between Pakistan and Turkey as both countries are vying to move ahead in close collaboration with each other. He said that PTBA is making sincere efforts to attract maximum investments from Turkey for Pakistan in addition to helping our Pakistani brethren to increase their exports to Turkey.
He said that Turkish businessmen are not only investing in most secure public sector but were also launching joint ventures with private sector. In this connection, a Mamonkanjan-based company is collaborating with a Turkish seed company. He said that opportunities are knocking at the door of Pakistani entrepreneurs and it is now up to them to exploit these opportunities to bring a turn around in their national economy.
Earlier, President FCCI Engr Rizwan Ashraf President FCCI said that Pak-Turkish friendship is engraved on the hearts of the people of two countries and they also want to capitalise existing brotherly relations economically. We must identify joint ventures for the benefit of two countries. He said that many industrial units have been closed down due to energy crisis while others are also working at 40-50 percent of their installed capacity.