FAISALABAD: Socialist Republic of Vietnam is starting E-visa service to facilitate the business community of Pakistan, said Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam.
Addressing the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) here Saturday, he termed lack of knowledge and connectivity as a major hurdle in promoting bilateral trade relations. “We must complement each other by understanding our common problems and resolving the same with a spirit of positivity”, he said and added that Vietnam imports and exports many items from Pakistan and it is a natural process to strengthen the economy. He said that we should not become competitors of each other but should complement each other.
He appreciated the well-developed textile sector of Faisalabad and said that now it should make a new start by exploiting IT and converting this city into a Silicon Valley of textile. He further said that Vietnam could give technology and start joint ventures with potential entrepreneurs. He said that Vietnam is exporting telephone, coffee, tea, black pepper and cashew nut etc but our exports are hardly touching the figure of $1bn.
He also mentioned the unique aroma and taste of Pakistani mango and said that Pakistan should enhance its exports so that the farmers could get reasonable profit. He said that by consuming cheap mangoes, we are actually exploiting the farmers and we must change our mindset. He also mentioned the ginger which is extensively used in our cooking practices. He said that Pakistan is importing only 43% of tea from Vietnam while our products are better in quality as compared to its cheaper rates.
He also mentioned the tourism industry in Vietnam and said that we could help Pakistan to develop this sector with the expertise of our entrepreneurs. He said that FDI plays a key role in economic uplift and Vietnam could also invest in Pakistan with technology transfer. Responding to a question, he said that Pakistan could export its products to ASEAN countries by adding at least 40% value addition in Vietnam.
He supported the idea of exchange of bilateral trade delegations and said that he could also arrange B2B meetings with the concerned stakeholders. About the export of beef and mutton, he said that farmers should move a formal request from the beef association so that he could open this new venue of export for Pakistan.
He further said that Vietnam was manufacturing the cheapest computers which would also create new job opportunities for the IT experts. He also stressed the need for cooperation in this sector between the two countries.
Earlier President FCCI Dr. Khurram Tariq welcomed the guests and introduced Faisalabad and FCCI. He said that Faisalabad is strategically located in the heart of Pakistan. “It is the third largest hub of industrial, commercial and business activities”, he said and added that FCCI has 8300 members who represent 118 sectors and subsectors of the economy. He lauded the unprecedented growth of Vietnam and said that we should also explore new avenues of collaboration to enhance our exports.
A question answer session was also held while a documentary about Vietnam was also screened. Dr. Khurram Tariq FCCI presented a shield to Nguyen Tien Phong, Ambassador of Vietnam.
Later, Nguyen Tien Phong also recorded his impression in FCCI visitor’s book. Senior vice president Dr. Sajjad Arshad and vice president Haji Muhammad Aslam Bhalli also participated in the meeting in addition to other executive members.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023