SME Cooperation Will Boost Pakistan, India trade: Pak Chambers of Commerce and Industry President

Business communities and governments are making serious discussions to take relations forward. FPCCI and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) feels trade, visa policies should be given much importance.

This will be discussed between two governments in future meetings. “It is sad both countries issue visas at district level. No other country issue visas at district level. Only India and Pakistan issue visas at district level, which is very bad. We have to work on this issue,” he added.

Senator Ali said both countries' business communities want to develop good relations and trade also increase. The 64 years relationship between Pakistan and India are always tensed.

Infrastructure, education, etc are not that good in both countries. We want two governments to give importance to business communities so that there is decline in poverty and increase in trade volume. He said both governments said they would achieve bilateral trade to $6 billion from present $2.7 billion.

“Once things are finalised in November meeting we will be able to tell how we can achieve $6 billion target. As of now, talks are going on”.

Till now trade between two countries is not done directly. It happens through Dubai or some other country. It reaches via a different route, which is not direct. This is a non-tariff barrier we are facing while performing trading activities between two countries.

In WTO, we will try to sort out things so that business communities can come closer. In mid-November, meeting at secretaries level will also discuss, bring solutions to these issues. We request our Indian counterparts to bring together around 200 business delegation as we brought to India, which will help strengthen relationship further.

“Negative lists will be over. We will do away with negative lists. We decided every year we will bring it down. We are trying to find out how many items are there in negative lists. Today, we have around 2000 items in positive lists and rest in negative”.

He said India and Pakistan could get into Joint Ventures or could also shift technology in the segment. If SMEs work collaboratively, it will help growth in bilateral trade.