TFD Report
LAHORE: Governor Punjab, Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar has assured of taking up the PCJCCI proposals to the concerned federal and provincial departments for successful implementation of PCJCCI progressive plans to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relations between Pakistan and China.
In a meeting with SM Naveed, President Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) SM Naveed held here at with Governor Punjab Mr. Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar at Governor House, Governor also approved to formulate a special committee and platform to solve the problems of foreign investors in the easiest possible way.
Governor Punjab appreciated efforts of PCJCCI in promoting bilateral trade between the two countries with transfer of modern technology into Pakistan.
The meeting was called to discuss hurdles in promoting trade and investment relations between China and Pakistan as well as to formulate a special committee to facilitate the issues of foreign investors. He was accompanied by Senior Vice President, Daud Ahmed, Secretary General PCJCCI Salahuddin Hanif and the consultant of Sanmeng.
SM Naveed informed the Governor that his chamber aims to address the problems of Chinese Investors often arising due to the lack of investment facilities in Pakistan, but he said, “We become ineffective where government’s regulatory bodies are involved”. He suggested to arrange training of the regulatory bodies’ officials to deal with the foreign investors receptively.
Senior Vice President PCJCCI, Daud Ahmed informed that Sanmeng Tech Ltd was a company incorporated in Pakistan for manufacturing of mobile phones in financial year 2016. It became one of the successful Chinese companies working in Pakistan, but due to blackmailing of certain corrupt officials of Customs department, the Chinese investors were forced to stop production and decided to sell the factory two years back, he said and referred to the Chines Director of the Company Mr. Cai Xian as saying that Custom Department of Pakistan treats foreign investors as a source of bribe and blackmails them by exploiting their discretionary powers.
Secretary General, Salahudin Hanif, PCJCCI briefed about the PCJCCI efforts to expand Pak-China economic relations.
He hoped energy democracy in Pakistan, the government can ensure efficiency, investment, and reduced tariffs to resolve energy crisis. He said that Pakistan can conduct participatory forms of decision enabling people to get involved in the energy democracy projects to ensure public ownership also in distribution of energy.
He said second phase of the CPEC is set to boost Pak-China cooperation in agriculture and initiate an era of industrialization through establishment of Special Economic Zones. The second phase of the multi-billion-dollar economic cooperation between Pakistan and China will have a special emphasis on agriculture, industry, trade, and science and technology. The Pakistani government’s priority about the second phase of CPEC is to make special economic zones functional, besides development projects in Gwadar. Many projects focusing on infrastructure and energy sectors in the first phase of CPEC have been completed and are already operational, and work on the second phase is under way.