Sixth Expo Pakistan helps finalise $517 million orders

Presence of foreign delegates at the 6th Expo Pakistan 2011 shows that the global perception about Pakistan is positive, as the fair has helped the country finalise export orders worth $517 million and provide a platform for local businessmen to find new buyers.
"Foreign delegates from 52 countries have proved Pakistan is business-friendly country," said Chief Executive of Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), Tariq Iqal Puri at a press conference held at Expo Centre, here on Saturday. He urged the media to help build positive and soft image of the country. He added buyers from different parts of the world visited the exhibition and made country''s biggest show successful.
He also announced to hold the seventh edition of Expo Pakistan next year from October 4 to October 7, 2012 in Karachi, hoping the number of foreign visitors would increase in the next exhibition. He said the TDAP had also planned to bring the international manufacturing sector to the next fair with a view to convince it to set up its units in Pakistan to reduce the country''s import bill.
At the same venue the global buyers would also be able to export Pakistani products, which will help the country win more foreign orders, Puri said, adding the feedback from the international visitors about the Expo Pakistan was beyond his expectations.
"Around 1650 business meetings were held between the buyers and the Pakistani exhibitors/manufacturers and 15 MoUs have been signed," he said terming the exhibition successful. "Hong Kong Company [M/s Ormita] signed an MoU with a Pakistani food company [M/s] Alpha Dairies] of $120 million for the first year with a provision to go up to $300 million," Puri told the newsmen.
He added that a Polish company was close to finalise a partnership deal with a Pakistani IT software with a "tentative" $1 billion, saying the investment move by an international firm in the country was a "big breakthrough". He said another Polish company intends to set up a flood rehabilitation centre in DHA in partnership with a Pakistani company with an estimated investment of $122 million. He said during the show, about $17 million transaction have been taken place.
Puri said buyers from Russia, UK, Holland and Mauritius had shown interest and made trade deals of $400 million to import fresh vegetables and value-added food from Pakistan. He said MoUs had been signed mainly in mining and dairy sectors. He said the Expo Pakistan fair had also provided an opportunity to the young fashion designers to present their work, saying the fashion show had earlier been planned at some other place in the city but the TDAP succeeded in convincing its management to hold it at the Expo Centre.
He pointed out that some of the delegations were led by their ministers or high trade officials. He said the Chinese delegation was led by Vice Chairman China Counsel for Promotion of Trade. The Penang State Minister, Haji Abdul Maalik led the Malaysian trade delegation. The Minister of Trade headed Madagascar delegation.
Puri said 582 delegations visited the Expo Pakistan. Around 295 exhibitors set up their stalls. He said the TDAP had also facilitated the global buyers with services of interpreters in Chinese, Japanese, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, and Russian languages. He said the exhibitors set up their stalls in five halls while one hall was allocated for the fashion show at the Expo Centre, which would conclude on Sunday (today).
He said TDAP had set up a dedicated B2B Secretariat in the level 2 of Expo Centre where separate hall was allocated for back-to-back meetings by Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, whose President Mian Abrar Ahmed was available and he met with delegates. A separate hall was provided to FPCCI.