Mauritius HC visits LCCI: ‘There’s need to work together to address trade imbalance issues’

LAHORE: The High Commissioner of Mauritius, Munsoo Kurrimbaccus, said that the image of Pakistan presented to the world is very different from what he has personally seen after coming here. He said Pakistan is a beautiful country and he will make continuous efforts to present its true and positive image to the world. He was speaking during his visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

LCCI President Faheem ur Rehman Sehgal welcomed the high commissioner. The Honorary Consul General of Mauritius, Shahid Sethi, was also present. LCCI Vice President Khurram Lodhi, Executive Committee members Syed Salman Ali, Ahsan Shahid, Aamir Saeed Mian, and Aamir Ali also attended the meeting.

The high commissioner said that trade between Pakistan and Mauritius is extremely low. He recalled that in the past, a Preferential Trade Agreement existed between the two countries, which helped increase trade and exports, but this agreement is no longer in place.

He said both countries should cooperate in the fields of health, education, and technology. The high commissioner noted that campuses of international universities are operating in Mauritius and suggested that at least one Pakistani university should open a campus there, for which full support would be provided.

He said Africa is an important region where global economic power is shifting from the West to the East, and Africa lies at the center of this change. He added that the absence of direct flights between Pakistan and Mauritius is a major obstacle to trade and connectivity, making the launch of direct flights a pressing need.

The high commissioner said that although Mauritius is an island nation, it has a maritime area of around two million square kilometers. He invited Pakistan to cooperate with Mauritius in the blue economy sector.

He also said tourism is a major sector of Mauritius and should be further developed through bilateral cooperation. He added that Mauritius is currently facing some economic challenges and is seeking foreign investment, assuring full facilitation to investors. He also invited the Lahore Chamber to participate in an exhibition to be held in Mauritius in August.

The LCCI president said that Pakistan and Mauritius enjoy long-standing and friendly relations, but trade between the two countries is far below their real potential. He said both sides need to work together to address trade imbalance issues.

He informed that Pakistan currently exports traditional products such as rice, textiles, and pharmaceutical goods to Mauritius, while Mauritius exports iron, steel, and other products to Pakistan. He stressed the need to include more products in bilateral trade and to focus strongly on value addition.

Faheem ur Rehman Sehgal said there are significant opportunities in Halal food, technology, and human resource development. He added that global trends are moving towards product diversification and value addition, and Pakistan and Mauritius must benefit from these trends. He also emphasised the importance of business-to-business contacts, trade delegations, and exhibitions.

The LCCI president said that improved air connectivity, trade diversification, and institutional cooperation would help bring the two countries closer and allow them to fully benefit from each other’s economic potential.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025