Punjab Post Daily Online Newspaper & Print Media
Amritsar, 5 Dec. (Punjab Post Bureau) – Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi, Vice- President and leader of the delegation from Lahore chamber of Commerce & Industry stressed that both the governments should sit together and resolve the issues and such arrangements should be made that the political pressures do not affect the trade of the region.
Ghaznavi said both India and Pakistan traders are keen to start new trade regime and minimize non-tariff barriers. Ghaznavi who was leading a trade delegation from Pakistan was addressing an interactive B2B meet between the Chambers of India and Chambers of Pakistan, organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today. Ghaznavi said the objective of bringing the delegation was to explore new trade avenues between India and Pakistan and see them as routine international trade partners, a press release issued by PHD Chamber said.
“The first and foremost purpose of organizing such events is to facilitate more and more interaction between the industry and trading counterparts of the participating countries”, said R S Sachdeva, co- chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We appreciate and acknowledge the warm response from the industry and trading community in Pakistan”, said Sachdeva, Delegates from Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sargodha Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Jehlum Chamber of Commerce and Industry were present on the occasion.
Traders on both the sides echoed the same concerns and advocated open trade. More efforts are required to enhance the bilateral trade, quipped the present members. “Only peace could bring about a positive change in the lives of South Asians. The obvious impediments in the way of prosperity and progress of the region need to be done away with”, said Ammar Atta Bajwa, President, Sargodha Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Mirza Fazal-ur-Rehman, President, Jhelum Chamber Commerce & Industry was also present on the occasion.
Naeem Anwar, Minister (Trade), High Commission of Pakistan, appreciated the efforts made by PHD Chamber to foster bilateral ties and mentioned that visits by delegations help multiply these efforts.
“The kind of growth seen in bilateral trade in the last 4 to 5 years could not happen in the last 60 years”, said Anwar. He owed the growth to the new visa policy for businessmen by virtue of which they are able to get multiple visas for upto 10 cities.
The Pak Minister Trade urged the Industry Minister, Mittal to make concerted efforts to allow investment from Pakistan in India and vice versa. “Thus, if the Indian products are manufactured in Pakistan and the Pakistani products in India, can open trade routes upto Central Asia and South Asia”, said Anwar.
Three reasons, said Anwar restrict trade between India and Pakistan — restrictions on the movement of businessmen, which could be eased through liberalized visa regime; delays in customs clearance, which could be resolved by keeping a positive mindset towards each other; and lack of product and sector specific approach, which was necessary to boost the trade volume, he pointed out.
Ashok Khanna, past President, PHD Chamber said that both the nations enjoy cultural, social and economic similarities apart from geographical proximity, which can go a long way in strengthening our bi-lateral economic ties. He said that the need was to reduce the trust deficit between the people of India and Pakistan.
R.S Sachdeva, Co-Chairman, Punjab Committee, PHD Chamber said that the diverse and vibrant consumer markets in both the countries offer immense opportunities for business, which would generate employment opportunities and give a push to the growth index. He expressed the need to explore partnerships in SME sector and services sector.
Dalip Sharma, Regional Director, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that both the nations enjoy cultural, social and economic similarities apart from geographical proximity, which can go a long way in strengthening our bi-lateral economic ties. He said that the need was to reduce the trust deficit between the people of India and Pakistan.
Sharma said that the diverse and vibrant consumer markets in both the countries offer immense opportunities for business, which would generate employment opportunities and give a push to the growth index. He expressed the need to explore partnerships in SME sector and services sector. Sharma said, the direct trade in these items by reducing informal trade with other countries, would benefit in terms of cost as well as time.
Leader of the Gujranwala delegation Sheikh Rauf, said, “People to people contacts between India and Pakistan should be encouraged at all levels and visa restrictions should be relaxed to ease the movement of the trading community.”
The delegation included representation from textiles, fabrics, gems and jewellery, commercial banking, services sector, among others. Many important issues including the need for a better mobile connectivity to improve communication for business and trade, opening up of banks in each other’s countries, availability of information about standards/certification requirements and formalities for opening offices and trading houses in India were discussed.
Pakistan’s major exports to India included vegetables, fruits and nuts, cotton, mineral fuels, salt, lime and cement, but the value of these items contribute to a miniscule share of India’s total imports. A major portion of these items was imported by India from other countries to fill the requirements. He urged India to reduce informal trade with other countries, which would benefit in terms of cost as well as time. Pakistan would be keen to import dairy products, tea, dyeing extracts, chemical and rubber products from India, he informed.
