Envoys urge Pakistan government, business community to explore African markets, enhance bilateral trade
Coordinator to PM on Commerce, Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan on Thursday called for enhanced business with the African countries to ensure sustainable progress and prosperity for both the African and the Pakistani people.
He was addressing as Chief Guest the Business Africa Trade Forum jointly hosted by Additional Secretary (for Africa) Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hamid Asghar Khan and President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) Usman Shaukat at a local hotel. One could see a large number of diplomats from various African countries, business leader from both Pakistan and Africa highlighting the potential in bilateral trade and investment.
Former Senator and Chairman of Pakistan Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR) Mushahid Hussain Sayed, Ambassador of Algeria, Brahim Romani, Ethiopian Ambassador Jemal Beker Abdula, Chairman of the RCCI Foreign Affairs Committee, Zahid Latif Khan and head of Trade & Development Egypt Ali Ibrahim also spoke on the occasion and shared their thoughts with the audience.
Rana Ihsaan Afzal in his address as Chief Guest held Africa as the next destination for the Pakistani businessmen and women. With the large natural resources, plenty of oil, mines and minerals, Africa is now a national gateway for Pakistan, declared Rana Ihsaan adding it is a market with more than 1.5 billion population full of promise for the Pakistani businessman.
Africa should not be merely a market it is our partner and the Pakistani industrialists and tech companies should contribute to the local market of the African countries with their investment and play their role in the overall uplift of the region.
He also agreed with one of the speakers’ suggestions that the African presence in Pakistan should be enhanced. Unfortunately, out of 55 countries of Africa, Pakistan has diplomatic relations with hardly 15 countries. He asked every Pakistani businessman present there to explore new avenues of cooperation in trade and investment.
PAIDAR’s Chairman Sen Mushahid Hussain Sayed complimented the RCCI leadership and Amb Hamid
Asghar for hosting a business forum on a very important subject i.e. business with Africa. The importance of Africa as an unexplored market has been realized by all the US, the Russian Federation and China, he said. In 2022, the US-African summit was held showing how important the African content was in the eyes of America. Similarly, the Russia-Africa summit, China-African increasing ties are also growing stronger. Likewise, Pakistan-Africa bond is growing stronger.
Earlier in his welcome address, Zahid Latif said the RCCI was spearheading the initiative of business with Africa as there is huge potential in this direction. We need to have trade and joint ventures with the African companies.
He drew the attention of the government towards the fact of Pakistan’s total exports only 5pc constitute exports to the African countries. This forum is an ideal opportunity to think and debate how we can enhance exports to Africa, he said.
Usman Shaukat President of the RCCI also voiced concerns over slow pace of trade with Africa. Amb Hamid Asghar Khan drew the audience’s attention towards the booming markets of Africa be it agriculture, fisheries, mines and minerals etc. Africa, he said was also our food security partner and we need to take maximum advantage of that. Opportunities in trade with Africa are limitless, he said and commended the chambers for moving in that direction.
