FAISALABAD City News

Pakistan, Germany to exchange trade delegations
German ambassador calls for addressing some regulatory issues
From Our Correspondent
FAISALABAD: Pakistan and Germany will start exchanging delegations from next year to enhance bilateral trade, said German Ambassador Ina Lepel.
Addressing a function at Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Wednesday, she said a delegation from Pakistan headed by Finance Minister Khurram Dastigir Khan would Germany within next couple of months. Similarly, a German delegation will also visit Pakistan by the middle of next year.
She said both countries had cordial business relations, adding that Germany was politically and economically well-connected with the entire world and could take Pak-German trade to new heights.
“In this connection, the business communities of both the countries have to play their proactive role and collaborate with each other to get maximum benefits,” she added.
Lepel said Pakistan was an energy-starved country and Germany could help it meet immediate requirements through technology transfer for solar energy. She said many German companies were already working in Pakistan. However, there were some regulatory issues which should be resolved immediately.
Regarding establishing branches of Pak-Germany Business Forum and Germany Language Institute in Faisalabad, she said the businessmen of Faisalabad should get the membership of the forum to pave way to set up its branch.
Kai Mueller Berner, head of the Economic Section of the Germany embassy, said he was fully cooperating with the business community for the promoting of bilateral trade. Regarding Pak Germany business Forum, he clarified that its membership was open to all genuine businessmen.
Earlier, FCCI President Ch Muhammad Nawaz welcomed the German guests and said Faisalabad was the third largest chamber of Pakistan with more than 5,000 members representing all segments of the economy. He said the FCCI was continuously projecting the problems confronted by the business community at different forums and had been regularly holding meetings with the policy makers and foreign envoys.
Jamil Ahmad, FCI vice-president FCCI, said bilateral trade volume in 2014 stood at $2.71 billion in favour of Pakistan which exported goods worth $1.69 billion to Germany, adding that there was room to further expanding the trade.
Syed Zia Alamadar lauded the support of Germany to Pakistan for getting GSP-Plus Status and hoped that it would continue arguing the case for extending the status.
Before the start of the meeting, the participants observed one-minute silence to pay tributes to the people who had lost their lives in the Paris attacks.
Later, former FCCI president Suhail bin Rashid presented a shield to the Germany ambassador.