ISLAMABAD: Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Ghazanfar Bilour on Friday said Commonwealth Business Forum was a unique and historic opportunity to improve trade ties between Pakistan and 53 Commonwealth countries.
Commonwealth Business Forum is being held in the UK from April 16 to April 19 and will represent the interests of over 2.6 billion people with a combined GDP of over 12 trillion dollars, he said.
Talking to the British Deputy High Commissioner Richard Crowder, the president of FPCCI said that steps should be taken on all forums to increase the existing trade volume between the two countries.
“We have shared values, legal and regulatory systems and language that makes trade costs on average 19 percent lower between Commonwealth countries,” he added.
Others present on the occasion included British trade and diplomatic officials, including Mathew Lister, Dr Evan MacMillan, Jason John Mumtaz. FPCCI VP Karim Aziz Malik, Malik Sohail, and Tanveer Afsar Malik also attended the meeting.
Ghazanfar Bilour said that Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Commerce Minister Pervaiz Malik would also attend the high-profile event, while he would be leading a delegation of 52 businessmen, which would debate on the economic issues.
He said that the economy of Pakistan was improving and country was emerging as a good investment destination. “We want to increase trade ties with the UK and all other Commonwealth countries.”
The president also informed the British officials about the positive policies of the government and the opportunities emerging out of the CPEC.
The British diplomatic and trade officials said that apart from heads of states around 800 CEOs of leading companies would also participate in the forum. They expressed their willingness to improve trade with Pakistan and said that Islamabad would be given more trade relaxations.
Published in Daily Times, April 14th 2018.
