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Lahore, August 21, 2014 (PPI-OT): Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has stressed the need for a well-coordinated strategy to enhance the volume trade between Pakistan and Australia. The LCCI President Engineer Sohail Lashari was talking to High Commissioner-designate to Australia Naela Chohan here on Thursday.
The LCCI former Senior Vice President Abdul Basit, Honorary Consul Saleem Ghouri, EC members Talha Tayyab Butt, Raja Hamid Riaz and Zafar Mahmood were also present on the occasion. LCCI President said that the commercial sections of all the embassies abroad would have to play an active role for giving quantum jump to Pakistan’s exports.
Engineer Sohail Lashari has been working to explore avenues between the two countries to expand trade and investment, particularly through exchange of delegations. Engineer Sohail Lashari said that the trade figures show that our bilateral trade is modest as well as erratic. Although our exports to Australia are increasing but considering the size of Australian market, it is just insignificant.
He said that traditionally, the balance of trade is in favour of Australia and still there is a lot of gap between imports and exports figures. LCCI President said that commercial section of Pakistan High Commission in Australia could play instrumental role in this regard. We are eager to maintain direct working relations with them and also look forward to receiving trade inquiries on regular basis.
He said that Pakistan is facing critical situation with regard to maintaining reasonable level of Foreign Direct Investment. Pakistani High Commissioner could certainly play a role in convincing Australian investors to consider Pakistani for direct investment and joint ventures in the projects involving transfer of technology.
Engineer Sohail said that such experiences have been very successful in Pakistan. We have the examples of Suzuki Automobile Cars and Massey Ferguson Tractors etc. In the fields of oil and gas exploration, the Australian expertise can also be utilized.
He said that Pakistan is an agro-based economy but unfortunately we do not have technology to preserve our excess agriculture produce. We are striving hard to strengthen our agro-based and dairy industry. He said that Australian expertise in this sector could be helpful for Pakistani agriculture sector.
He said that there is a vast scope of investment in horticulture, cattle and sheep breeding, processing, canning, packing, and preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables as well. He hoped that Pakistan High Commissioner to Australia, will keep all these submissions in your account and thus Pakistan’s exports to this important nation would receive a quantum leap.
High Commissioner designate to Australia Naela Chohan while speaking on the occasion said that she had already gathered the required data after having meeting with various export related institutions and would expedite coordination with Chambers in Pakistan. She said that all the institutions in Pakistan would have to work with Pakistan’s foreign mission abroad to increase exports and to enhance foreign investment in Pakistan.
For more information, contact:
Shahid Khalil
Information Department
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI)
11-Shahrah-e-Aiwan-e-Tijarat,
Lahore -54000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-222-499
Fax: +92-42-6368854
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