RECORDER REPORT

FAISALABAD: Muhammad Nafees Zakria designated Pakistani High Commissioner to Malaysia has underlined the importance of bridging trade deficit between the two countries and said that in this connection the Pakistani business community has to play its pivotal and proactive role.

Addressing the members of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here today, he said that Malaysia is a small country with total Population of about 30 million but every year 26 million tourists visit this country which is quite enough number to create demand of Pakistani goods of different kinds.

Zakria said that he will try his optimum best to bring the business community of two countries closer to each other so that they could launch joint ventures for value addition which will also generate much needed economic activities in Pakistan. He said that he was also contemplating to set up a ‘display centre’ for Pakistani products in addition to establishing a cultural centre in Malaysia to cement the people to people contacts.

He requested President FCCI to identify specific products of textile chain enabling him to pave way for its exports to the Malaysian markets. He said that although Malaysia is itself a small market but through this brotherly Islamic country, we could have access to a big market of ASEAN. However, for this purpose, Government as well as business community would have to make concerted efforts with a strong commitment of patriotism. He said that 20% of Malaysian population belongs to Buddhists community. Pakistan has many religious sites for this Buddhists community but during last few years not even a single Buddhist visited Pakistan. He said that he will also try to exploit this important aspect of Pakistan to promote religious tourism for the Baddish community.

He told that he has planned to organize an exhibition of Pakistani products in April next year in Malaysia in collaboration with LCCI. He invited FCCI to join this initiative to market the Pakistan related products of Faisalabad. He further told that Malaysian government has ratified an agricultural agreement which will also help us to export agricultural products to Malaysian markets. However, Pakistan exporters must examine this agreement to explore new potential market of Malaysian for the export of agriculture products from Pakistan. He said Pakistan has potential to export fish and fish preparations but it is irony of fact that we failed to tap this potential.

Regarding exchange of trade delegations he said that he could immediately arrange video conferences for the Pakistani exporters with the Malaysian importers so that they could negotiate and decide to launch joint ventures or make deals for the import and export.

He said that Malaysian educational institutes are also ranked best in this region while there fees are comparatively lesser than European countries. He said that Pakistani students should avail this opportunity. He assured that he will also try to convince Malaysian Government to offer sufficient number of scholarships for the Pakistani students aspiring to study in Malaysia. He further told that approximately one lac workers are employed in Malaysia. There is still room to export human resource to this country and he will certain focus on this aspect also.

He said that Malaysia is our brotherly Islamic country. We have good relations with this country but we failed to develop business relations with it. He said that the reason for this situation is not that the diplomats, stationed there, are not properly working but it is only due to lack of interest shown by our exporters who are only focusing on the developed European and Western countries. He asked President FCCI to share any market study conducted by FCCI so that he could further fine tune it to make room for Pakistani exports in Malaysian markets.

Earlier in his address of welcome Shabbir Hussain Chawla President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that the volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Malaysia is only $944.632 million. Pakistan is importing different items including palm oil from Malaysia worth $792.886 million whereas its exports are only $151.346 million. Thus the balance of trade is in favour of Malaysia.

He told that approximately more than one lakh Pakistanis are working in Malaysia. There remittances are helping Pakistani to bridge its widening trade deficit.

Shabbir Hussain also introduced Faisalabad and FCCI and said that Pakistan can export many traditional and non-traditional items to Malaysia. But in this connection we must have a strong will to fully exploit the benefits of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with this country. He requested the designated High Commissioner to critically analyze the overall imports of Malaysia and identify the products which could be exported to this brotherly Islamic country from Pakistan.

President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that he should arrange meeting of Malaysian importers with Pakistani exporters so that both could harvest the benefits of FTA (Free Trade Agreement).

He also proposed single country exhibition and regular exchange of trade delegations between Pakistan and Malaysia and hoped that the designated High Commissioner will concentrate on making our bilateral trade balanced and in favour of Pakistan in later phase.

He also stressed the need to attract the Malaysian investment particularly in food processing industry.

He said that Pakistan is agricultural country where surplus fruits, vegetables and other cereals are available in addition to the abundance of milk.

He said that our investors have not yet focused on value-addition of these commodities and hence Malaysian investors could earn sizable profit by launching joint ventures, which will also catalyze the economic activities in Pakistan.

Former president FCCI Sohail Bin Rasheed offered vote of thanks while Engineer Ihtasham Javaid Former Chairman All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association presented FCCI shield to the designated High Commissioner to Malaysia Muhammad Nafees Zakria.

A comprehensive questions and answers session was also held in which Khuram Mukhtar, Rana Sikander Aazam, Dr Jaffer Masood, Chaudhary Muhammad Nawaz and secretary general Abid Masood also participated.