PREIA focuses on improving Pakistan’s regional trade with CARs

Islamabad: The USAID Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PREIA) has a strong focus on improving Pakistan’s regional trade including trade with the Central Asian Republics (CARs), said Leslie Schafer - Deputy Director Economic Growth, USAID.

She said it is a five-year, $14.4 million project instituted to further the development of Pakistan’s trade sector by improving Pakistan’s competitiveness in regional and international markets. To achieve this objective necessitates the establishment of linkages between private business organisations from Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics (CARs), she said.

The meeting was arranged by PREIA, in collaboration with various chambers of commerce and trade promotion organisations, in Serena Hotel, Islamabad.Later on Donal Cotter — Chief of Party, USAID Pakistan Regional Economic Integration Activity (PREIA) elaborated the objectives of this project. He said that their support focuses on developing the capacity of the private sector to reach out to regional markets, improving access to information about trade and investment opportunities as well as creating linkages among businesses, thereby facilitating an increase in Pakistan’s trade and transit volumes. He said that the Project launched its first Business to Business (B2B) initiative to facilitate regional trade between Pakistani and Tajik businesses in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in April 2016. It organised B2B meetings of 11 Pakistani businesses from textile and construction materials sectors with Tajik businesses. During this visit to Dushanbe, PREIA also arranged pre-scheduled and assisted market visits for the Pakistani delegates to gauge the quality, price range and market norms for relevant products in Tajik market, he said.

Later on MARUFJON Abdurahmanov — Commercial Counsellor, Embassy of Tajikistan in Islamabad, also addressed the participants. He thanked USAID and Pakistani business community for providing opportunities to the people of both countries for exploring more business opportunities. He invited Pakistani businesses to identify and capitalize on business opportunities in Tajkistan and his government will provide them any assistance they required. He said that this event will promote collaborations between selected chambers of commerce, trade associations and Pakistan government (Ministry of Commerce) and Tajikistan Embassy in Pakistan for future efforts in promoting trade between the two neighbouring countries. The event will also encourage interaction of the participants from private and public sector with USAID and PREIA staff.This event was attended by USAID officials, officials from the ministry of Commerce and large number of business community across the country.