South America, Africa: President FCCI vows to focus on non-traditional markets

Pakistan must focus on exploiting non-traditional markets during post corona era in order to overcome the huge losses its exports suffered during the lockdown period. In this connection Government and exporters must focus on unexploited South American and African markets.

Addressing a meeting of textile exporters, Rana Sikandar-e-Azam Khan President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) said that Pakistani commercial sections are working only in 56 countries and hence Pakistani exports are restricted to only these few countries. He told that we must concentrate on non-traditional and unexploited markets to give a quantum jump to the Pakistani exports.

Appreciating the proposal of FCCI executive member Engineer Asim Munir to appoint active Pakistani exporters as honorary commercial consoler's in these countries. President said that FCCI has been stressing the need to appoint honorary commercial counselors in uncovered areas; he said that these appointments would be purely on honorary basis and subject to their satisfactory performance.

Earlier Engineer Asim Munir told that South America is consistent of 12 countries with huge population and quite stable economies. He told that Pakistan has its trade section only in Brazil while in Argentine; its closed section has just been revived. He told that Colombia is situated in the heart of this continent where visible presence of Pakistani trade section is imperative to make Pakistani exports to its adjoining countries.

He said that as Pakistan is facing financial crunch, we must appoint proactive Pakistani exporters for these countries as honorary counselors. He said that as they are already dealing with these countries, they not only understand its trade intricacies but also have direct links with the local importers.

The performance of honorary commercial counselors could be adjudges on quarterly basis and they could be easily replaced without any lengthy formalities paving way for new and more active candidate for this honorary post.

Rana Ikramullah Khan, Habibur Rehman Gill and Chaudhry Talat Mahmood were also present during this meeting.