Tajik ambassador asks Pak businessmen to benefit from tax exemptions in his country in Free Economic Zones; Expresses interest for import of surgical and sports goods from Pakistan
Tajikistan’s Ambassador Jononov Sherali on Monday called for a proactive approach to explore Tajikistan market that he said had a lot to offer to Pakistani businessmen.
Talking to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad and Vice President Nasir Saeed at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday, the Tajik ambassador invited the Pakistani businessmen to explore trade and investment opportunities available in Tajikistan. He said that tax exemptions were being offered to the foreign investors in Free Economic Zones of Tajikistan. He said that two to five years of tax holiday was being offered to the potential investors keeping in view their level of investment.
Responding to a question about CASA – 1000, the World Bank’s Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project, the ambassador said that all legal formalities had been completed and construction would be started next year.
Sherali said that Tajikistan wanted to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties with Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan’s economic indicators were improving and expressed keen interest in importing sports and surgical goods from Pakistan.
The Ambassador said that a number of Pakistani companies belonging to pharmaceutical, agriculture and livestock sectors were doing good business.
He said that bilateral trade between the two countries could flourish through exchange of trade delegations and holding of single country exhibitions.
He said that China and Iran already hold single country exhibitions in Tajikistan. Therefore, the LCCI should also seek lead role in this regard. He said that he was ready to arrange business-to-business meetings of Pakistani businessmen in Tajikistan provided the LCCI arranged a delegation. He said that the embassy of Tajikistan in Islamabad would continue to facilitate Pakistani businessmen in getting visa on priority basis.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad said that both Pakistan and Tajikistan have good diplomatic relations and enjoy historical bonds of brotherhood but these ties are hardly reflected in the two-way trade.
He said that the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) countries are well placed in terms of their economic potential and can become a major hub of trade and energy. Therefore, this regional grouping of ECO needs to be activated on the lines of EU and ASEAN.
The LCCI president said that it was very unfortunate that Pakistan did not figure prominently among the trading partners of Tajikistan. The major reasons, he said, were lack of transportation facilities and absence of developed banking system in Tajikistan.
