Asad Cheema
LAHORE—Sudan Ambassador to Pakistan Alshafie Ahmad Mohamed on Monday invited Pakistani businessmen to make investment or ink joint ventures with their Sudanese counterparts as the country has unparallel and huge opportunities in Rice, Cement, pharmaceutical, Textile made-ups, food products, poultry and steel sectors.
The Ambassador said that this was high time that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry should arrange a sector specific delegation to take part in Khartoum International Fair as preparation for this fair are in full swing. He said that the LCCI should also sign an MoU with the Sudan Chamber of Commerce or with Khartoum Chamber to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two sides.
The Ambassador informed the participants that a number of other countries had already invested heavily in oil sector in Sudan, and Pakistan could also make investments for the joint benefit of the two countries. He also urged Pakistani businessmen to visit Sudan for having first hand knowledge of available business opportunities there.
On this occasion, the SVP said that LCCI has finalized a delegation to Sudan for the first week of coming March, and it would also arrange a half day seminar in Sudan to give an update to Sudanese businessmen about business opportunities in Pakistan. He urged the Ambassador to arrange a catalogue show of Sudanese companies at Lahore Chamber and vice versa as it would help increase the volume of two-way trade. He said that to identify the ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries, there is a need to observe the commodity wise trade trends that would ultimately help evolve a strategy to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Pakistan’s exports to Sudan consist of salt, sulphur, lime & cement, articles of iron & steel, pharmaceutical products, textile articles, man-made fibre and cotton etc. On the other hand, leather, raw hides & skins, cotton, iron & steel, miscellaneous manufactured articles etc. are mainly imported from Sudan. Both the countries should also concentrate on new items of trade besides the existing ones. Pakistan being an agricultural economy can supply both semi-processed and processed foods to Sudan. Auto sector is another area, where Pakistan can cater to the needs of Sudanese businessmen, he added.
Similarly, petrochemical and edible oil can be the sectors where Pakistan can benefit from the Sudanese product lines, he said. Kashif Meher said that a large number of Sudanese students were getting higher education in Pakistani institutions and this proves the level of cooperation between the two countries. While, Saeeda Nazar called for more interaction between the business women of the two countries and said that fashion accessories, garments and footwear sectors have a bright future in Sudan.
