The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has congratulated the nation, Chinese President Xi Jingping, Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong for making the Gwadar Port operational and opening of trade activities under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The departure of the trade fleet convoy at Gwadar Port is by no means the end of the journey, but a new beginning of an epoch and Pakistani government should cash this opportunity to the maximum," LCCI President Abdul Basit said in a statement on Monday.
He said the business community is very excited at this moment as the dream of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has come true and the country has taken a giant leap towards economic stability.
This is the first time that Pakistan and China have jointly handled a trade fleet and a large number of trading goods have been exported through Gwadar Port, he added. The joint and cordial efforts of Pakistani and Chinese governments and Pakistan armed forces have contributed to the success of this mega project which is delivering benefits to all the people of Pakistan as well as the region, he said.
The LCCI president said there is a dire need to avail the full advantage of the potential and friendly policies of the Chinese government towards Pakistan. The mutual trade between Pakistan and China could easily touch the figure of $15 billion within a couple of years.
"The Chinese importers may have better prospects for Pakistani goods, particularly of carpets, leather and leather products, surgical equipment, sports goods, fruits and vegetables, rice, pharmaceuticals and cotton. Most of our industrial units in these areas are ISO-certified and are producing best quality products at competitive rates as compared with other countries in the region," he said.
Joint ventures can be initiated in sectors like construction, hotels and tourism, SMEs cluster development, computer and cellular chips, textiles and garments, home appliances, corporate farming, seafood and food processing, banks and finance and light engineering. Two most important areas where Pakistan needs urgent assistance are energy and agriculture, he pointed out.
Pakistan is an agrarian society with tremendous potential in agricultural sector. China has expertise both in agriculture and agro-based industry and if some joint ventures are carried out, it would be mutually beneficial for both the countries, he added.
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