German team visits KCCI to assess business, investment opportunities

KARACHI: A 19-member German-Emirati Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) delegation led by CEO AHK Oliver Oehms visited the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) to hold business-to-business meetings and assess the overall business and investment opportunities in Karachi.

Chairman Businessmen Group and Former President KCCI M. Zubair Motiwala joined the meeting online via Zoom facility whereas Consul General of Germany Holger Ziegeler, President KCCI M. Shariq Vohra, Senior Vice President M. Saqib Goodluck, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan, Former Vice President KCCI Muhammad Idrees, Chairman Diplomatic Missions & Embassies Liaison Subcommittee Junaid Mundia and KCCI Managing Committee Members were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, CEO AHK Oliver Oehms stated that German-Emirati Chamber was established in 1999 and it has a total of 480 corporate members mostly German companies operating in UAE and the region. "The delegation's visit to Pakistan is the start of a very promising bilateral journey for German community in UAE and German-Emirati community with our very loyal partners in Pakistan", he said, adding that the German business community was keen to establish contacts with Karachi's business community.

Consul General of Germany Holger Ziegeler, in his remarks, said that Germany and Pakistan were celebrating 70 years of bilateral relations which was an incredible amount of time across which both countries have done so many things together in different fields. The first physical visit of German delegation to Pakistan in the age of COVID-19 pandemic shows the interest of German businessmen who were very keen to establish business ties with the business community of Karachi.

Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala stressed that Pakistan, particularly Karachi city, should be the next destinations for German business community as this port city alone contributes more than 60 percent revenue to the national exchequer and more than 50 percent of the country's exports were also taking place from Karachi. As most of the export consignments including textiles were being sent to Germany by Karachi-based exporters, Chairman BMG offered KCCI's premises for housing an office of German-Emirati Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "KCCI can be your partner and we are more than willing to host you and support you in every manner", he added.

He was of the opinion that there was a scope for German businessmen to expand business relationship with Pakistan as a variety of products were being produced in Pakistan which the world does not know mainly due to lack of proper marketing. He advised German business community to select any products which were being imported in Pakistan at a cost of $2 billion and if they were good in manufacturing these products, they can be produced by German companies through joint ventures in Pakistan which would help in dealing with exorbitant charges of logistics and these manufactured goods can be supplied not only to the Pakistani market but also to the entire region. "Germans must invest in Pakistan and we can easily find the right partners for you on a sectoral basis", he added.

President KCCI M. Shariq Vohra hoped that today's B2B meetings proves to be fruitful and encourages closer linkages between the business communities of the two Chambers, besides paving way for German and Emirati companies to come to Karachi which is the financial and economic hub of Pakistan, offering profitable business opportunities and great facilities for trade, investment and joint ventures to the German businessmen and industrialists. He was of the view that the present foreign direct investment climate in Pakistan was wonderful and it was the best time to invest in Pakistan which was ready for investment in all sectors including technology, health, education, manufacturing, telecommunication, hospitality and tourism etc.

In order to improve the economic performance, Shariq Vohra stressed that Pakistan needs to copy the SMEs of Germany which contribute the most to German economy as compared to any other economy of the world. He also extended full support and cooperation to German delegation looking forward to having trade, investment and business ties with the business community of Karachi.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021