‘Business community needs to focus on high-tech products’

ISLAMABAD

Ambassador-designate of Pakistan to Switzerland, Ahmad Warraich has said that the business community needs to focus on high-tech products and diversification of exports to enhance trade with Switzerland.

Ahmad Warriach on Friday visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) to get the input of private sector on how to improve bilateral trade with Switzerland.

Talking to the ICCI management, he said Pakistan was mostly depending on textiles and some other products for exports while it was the time that the private sector should focus on producing high-tech products including mobile phones, computers and other value-added products that would give a significant boost to our exports.

The Ambassador-designate said Pakistan has great potential to promote tourism as the law and order situation has sufficiently improved. He assured that he would work hard for perception change of people in Switzerland about Pakistan so that our country could attract more foreign tourists. He said an exchange of trade delegations was the key to explore new avenues of improving Pakistan’s trade and exports. He emphasised that ICCI should form a delegation for Switzerland and assured of his full support to make its visit successful.

Speaking at the occasion, ICCI President Khalid Iqbal Malik said that despite enjoying good relations, bilateral trade between Pakistan and Switzerland was just around $ 500 million, which was far less than the actual potential of both countries. He said that government should cooperate with the private sector and facilitate the exchange of trade delegations to explore new avenues of mutual cooperation with Switzerland.

Malik said that Pakistan’s exports were on the decline and urged that Pakistani foreign missions should develop strong liaison with local chambers of commerce to identify new markets for Pakistani products so that private sector could step up efforts to promote exports. He assured that ICCI would consider taking a delegation to Switzerland in future.