Atif Ikram Sheikh
Karachi: Mr. Atif Ikram Sheikh, President FPCCI, has said that the German Consul General in Karachi, H. E. Rüdiger Lotz, has apprised the business, industry and trade community from the apex platform of FPCCI that the business visas will be given priority in the visa issuance to Pakistani citizens as economic relations top the agenda. It is pertinent to note that top German diplomats visited FPCCI Head Office in Karachi to attend a high-profile, interactive session with the business community.
Mr. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon, SVP FPCCI, invited the business community and chambers of Germany to be their partner in growth and development of Pakistan; whereas, he outlined the principle objective of FPCCI’s Vision 2030 as achieving $100 billion in annual exports for the country. He put forward the top areas of B2B cooperation as startups, research & development, women empowerment, vocational training and facilitation of business tourism.
Mr. Saquib Fayyaz Magoon expressed his pleasure that the German Consulate has appointed a prominent women member of FPCCI, Ms. Sahibzadi Mahin Khan, as their focal person on trade and investment for Sindh and Balochistan region.
Mr. Shabbir Mansha, former VP FPCCI, requested that the German consulate should issue long-term visas to the business community after due diligence of their papers as it can result in enhanced collaborative partnerships between the private-sectors of two countries. Additionally, he proposed that Pakistan has a large, young and skilled pool of human resources; which can be employed across various industries, sectors and regions of Germany.
Ms. Sahibzadi Mahin Khan, Convener of FPCCI’s Central Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Investment, acknowledged that German Consulate has always been supportive of initiatives of women empowerment in the country; and, they are also helping in organizing the women empowerment conference on June 5th in Islamabad.
Mr. Sham Lal, a cotton and textiles expert, maintained that Pakistan has the world’s best textiles and related products; and, Germany should welcome the textile exporters of Pakistan through trade fairs and exhibitions.
H. E. Rüdiger Lotz, German Consul General in Karachi, stated that Pakistan is an important market for the German companies as it has a strong middle-class of 40 – 50 million with reasonable purchasing power; and, German companies have a long-established presence in the region; which dates back to over 100 years. He also expressed his optimism that Pakistani visa applicants have doubled in the recent years.
H. E. Mr. Andreas Wegner, Head of German Mission, stressed that collective efforts are required to increase the numbers vis-à-vis bilateral trade, investments, JVs, industrial collaborations and other areas of economic relations. He also shed light on the geo economic position of Pakistan at the crossroads of South Asia, Central Asia, Middle-east and Europe.
Brig Iftikhar Opel, SI (M), Retd.
Secretary General
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