Relations with local SMEs: Traders from ASEAN states, China, Belgium show interest

LAHORE: The traders of China, Indonesia, Belgium and ASEAN (the Association of South East Nations) have evinced keen interest in developing trade relations with local SMEs dealing in food and agriculture products.

It was disclosed by Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Tuesday while commenting on SMEDA’s participation in the 1st International Food and Agriculture Exhibition (FoodAg-2023) organized by the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP).

The exhibition, he said, had provided a unique opportunity to SMEDA for meeting 500 international SMEs from 60 countries along with 15 regulatory and development bodies of the visiting countries.

We held exclusive meetings with delegates of ASEAN, Indonesia, China and Belgium for promoting SME to SME trade relations in food and agriculture sector, he added and appreciated the role of Pakistan’s commercial counsellors in managing networking with international SMEs and the respective SME development agencies.

CEO SMEDA informed that the meetings with Indonesian and Chinese Embassies have paved the way for MoUs at secretariat level to strengthen SMEs trade relations and also share experience on SME development with SMEDA.

A delegation of the overseas Pakistani businessmen from Belgium have also expressed deep interest in promoting export of Rice and Potato from Pakistan to Belgium with support of SMEDA, he said and informed that the delegation is right now visiting Khanqah Dogran along with a team of SMEDA for examining fields of Rice and Potato and also meeting with local farmers and SMEs dealing in these produces.

It is notable that SMEDA team led by CEO Farhan Aziz Khawaja, apart from strengthening networking with international SME bodies, had helped set up an exclusive pavilion comprising Agro-based SMEs of Sindh and Baluchistan under GRASP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023