Pakistani High Commissioner in Sri Lanka His Excellency Major general Qasim Qureshi Invited the the Lankan business community to take advantage out of the promising Pakistani economy, which he says has started to grow.
Speaking at the 21st AGM of the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Business Council of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, Qureshi also said that most of the major economic indicators of the Pakistani economy have improved during the last one year period, which he attributed to the success of the newly formed government’s pro-business policy.
He invited the Lankan businessman to venture into Pakistan to gain advantage from the promising economy of that country, which Qureshi believes will continue to grow during the next few years.
The High Commissioner also said Pakistan’s improving security situation is also providing a launching platform for investors to venture into that country, successfully.
“Look at the bigger picture, look at the strategic outlook; you need to work to continue to build a strong business relationship with Pakistan. That is beneficial for both countries”, he told the gathering.
The First Secretary of the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo Hassan Zaigham speaking during the occasion said, the Pakistani Government has also launched a program to expand its energy sector in a bid to cut down the energy cost and also have a sustainable energy supply program.
Speaking at the AGM, the President of the Sri Lanka – Pakistan Business Council, Rohitha Thilakaratne, who was reelected for a third term, said the interest among the SL and Pakistani businessman to do business with each other is growing.
“There are lot of proposals that has come for Joint Ventures and Partnerships’, he added. The main interest has come from areas such as Sugar, Building Materials, Real Estate and Pharmaceuticals.
According to him, both countries are keen on enhancing the two way trade volume to US$ 1 billion by the year 2016. He further mentioned how the council has been actively participating in discussions facilitated by the EDB, Department of Industry and Commerce and other technical committees of the government with the objective of voicing out the concerns of the exporters and iron out the problems and barriers In order to maximize the benefit of the existing FTA.
Thilakaratne also revealed that there will be possibility of a direct flight between Colombo to Lahore, commencing in the near future, which will also boost more links between the two South Asian countries.
During the AGM Sega Nagendra was once again re-elected for the post of Vice President of the Council, while Azmy Mohideen was newly appointed as a Vice President of the Council.
