Indonesian Consul General for strengthening bilateral ties with Pakistan

HYDERABAD: The Consul General of Indonesia in Karachi Totok Prianamto has said his country wants to further strengthen economic, trade, investment and people to people ties with Pakistan.

The CG, during his visit to Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry's (HCCI) office here on Saturday, observed that Sindh province was very important for Indonesia notably in the economic, trade and investment sectors.

Prianamto also noted that Hyderabad was strategically located in the middle of a busy trade route from Karachi to other cities and provinces.

He informed that the trade between Indonesia and Pakistan was growing steadily over the years, adding that last year the two-way trade reached $2.63 billion showing 21.31 percent increase from 2016.

During the same period, Pakistan’s export to Indonesia recorded a 53.32 percent increase, he added. "During the first half of this year, the trade figure between the two countries has further increased by 19.37 percent with Pakistani exports recording an enormous 14.8 percent increase," he added. "This is also one of our mission to strengthen the people-to-people contacts between Indonesia and Pakistan, particularly in the economic sector," he underlined.

The CG invited the members of HCCI to attend the 33rd Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) which would be held from 24 to 28 October, 2018.

"This year the TEI is expected to attract more than 28,000 visitors. Last year, the TEI booked a $1.41 billion worth of transactions, a 37% growth from the previous year," Prianamto told.

He said the TEI also provided opportunities for Pakistani businessmen to further explore their businesses with the Indonesian counterparts.

The CG said textile was one of Hyderabad’s most prized industries, adding that the TEI was planning to visit one of Indonesia’s biggest textile Industry, the Sritex.

He informed that the Indonesian government would provide local accommodation and transportation but the participants would have to bear the cost of return tickets from Jakarta to Pakistan. "We can also arrange a business meeting with interested counterparts and I am sure there are a lot of them who have interest in establishing business contacts with Pakistan. I believe such cooperation can benefit both parties," he said.

Earlier, the President HCCI Muhammad Shahid welcomed the guest and briefed him about the trade and industry's potential in Hyderabad. He assured the CG that the HCCI would extend full cooperation to Indonesia by participating in the TEI event. The leading member of the business community, office bearers and members of HCCI were present on the occasion.