Pakistani stalls attract foreigners at ISPO fair

President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Ghulam Mustafa Coudhary has said there are opportunities for Pakistani businessmen to grab European markets because Chinese market has become expansive due to high cost of labour.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Saturday evening after attending ISPO trade fair organised in Munich (Germany) recently he said there were bright prospects for business community of Sialkot engaged with sports goods, sportswear and textile industry to capture European markets.
Mustafa revealed that over 100 exhibitors of Sialkot have participated in ISPO fair and it is heartening to note that huge rush was witnessed on Pakistani stalls as compared to other participating countries as a result of which businessmen won some foreign orders. The president SCCI said that they could capture the European market and enhance exports to manifold if government addresses the energy crisis. The unavailability of gas and electricity loadshedding was hindering the productivity adversely as a result of which the business community was unable to deliver timely foreign consignments to its customers, he said.
The president SCCI observed that European businessmen were looking for new trade links and considering shifting their businesses from China because of high cost of labour. The exporter community of Sialkot was on its behalf was doing its utmost to motivate the European business community divert their business to Pakistan instead of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and India, he said. Mustafa was of the opinion that under the current changing scenario there was great need of spadework of our commercial attachés of Pakistani Embassies to motivate the business communities of European countries.
The president SCCI urged upon the government that Sialkot which is a hub of cottage industry and export-oriented city of Pakistan should be exempted from gas and electricity loadshedding for smooth productivity adding that if government exempt Sialkot from loadshedding of gas and electricity, business community would mobilise all resources and modes for enhancing the export volume from this city.