KARACHI: A meeting of Board of Directors of Pak-Malaysia Business Council of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry was held at Federation House, here in Clifton, on April 9, in which Khairul Nazran Rahman, Consul General of Malaysia was the chief guest.
The meeting was presided by Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo, President, FPCCI and M Bashir Janmohammed, Chairman, Pak-Malaysia Business Council and was attended by the directors & members of the Council, besides leading industrialist & businessmen in large number.
Mian Nasser Hyatt Maggo, President, FPCCI; M Hanif Lakhany, Vice President, FPCCI and Zakaria Usman, Former President of FPCCI and Amjad Rafi, former president of KCCI, Haji Ghani Usman, Perwaiz Hassan Khan, Imtiaz Husain and Usman Ahmed (on Zoom) also attended the meeting.
The overall position of Pakistan-Malaysia bilateral trade was reviewed and measures for promotion of trade and investment was deliberated in detail in view of the fact that the Balance of Trade between both the countries is consistently titled in favour of Malaysia, since export from Pakistan to Malaysia are much lower than the imports of Pakistan from Malaysia.
Chairman, Pak-Malaysia Business Council pointed out at the meeting that rice export to Malaysia from Pakistan was very limited. Pakistan has large quantity to export. Therefore, BERNAS (Importing agency in Malaysia) should be asked to import more rice from Pakistan at a competitive price.
It was stressed that there was need to promote export of good quality sports goods (particularly hockey sticks & footballs) and surgical goods manufactured in Pakistan at international quality standard at attractive price.
Bashir Janmohammed informed that the proposal for establishment of display centre for Pakistani products in the premises of High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, is pending for government’s approval since long. High Commission is located in the centre of city and display centre can be a step forward and the exporters can display their products and have meeting with Malaysian businessmen and solicit orders from the importers. The President, FPCCI, agreed with Bashir Janmohammed and advised that “we would take up this matter with the Advisor to the Prime Minister for Commerce & Industry, for expediting government’s approval, so that the proposed display centre is established at the earliest and Pakistani businessmen can display their products.”
Bashir Janmohammed stressed that, as suggested by Pakistan High Commission in Malaysia, a businessmen delegation from Pakistan should visit Malaysia for promoting export of rice, surgical goods, sports goods, Made-up textile & apparel articles, garment etc., light engineering goods, besides various other products imported by Malaysia. The President, FPCCI agreed to the proposal for sending a delegation of exporters/businessmen to Malaysia. It was decided to organise a delegation in last quarter of the year 2021.
President of Federation Main Nasser Hyatt Maggo appreciated the activities of Pak-Malaysia Business Council and assured of full co-operation of the Federation in this regard for growth in bilateral trade between both the countries. He stressed on more trade between the Muslim countries, especially export from Pakistan.
After detailed deliberations, it was agreed that Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Pakistan and Malaysia needed modifications and to remove certain anomalies on FTA highlighted earlier shall be taken up in the next Joint Review Committee (JRC) meeting. There was need to review FTA in the forthcoming JRC meeting where products like mangoes and other fruits can be included in FTA. M Bashir Mohammed requested President, FPCCI to get the long awaited FTA meeting expedited from Federal Ministry of Commerce.—PR
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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