Deputy Head of Embassy of Switzerland Roger M Kull has said that Swiss companies were doing successful business in various sectors of Pakistan’s economy and more were interested to explore as they considered it a promising country for business and investment.
Talking to businessmen at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Friday, Kull said that Pakistan was making good economic progress and entrepreneurs of both the countries had to work together to take bilateral trade to higher levels.
He said that Pakistan with a population of over 190 million people held great opportunities and Swiss investors would like to exploit its untapped potential, adding that 70 per cent of Swiss economy was comprised of small medium enterprises (SMEs) and there was good scope for both countries to strengthen cooperation between their SMEs for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
Kull said Pakistani businessmen should visit Switzerland to establish business linkages and explore business collaborations, adding that the Swiss Business Council and Switzerland Embassy in Pakistan could facilitate Pakistani businessmen in making direct contacts with Swiss counterparts.
Speaking at the occasion, ICCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said that although Pak-Swiss bilateral trade had improved from $ 89.24 million in 2002-03 to $ 301.37 million in 2014-15, it was far less than the available potential of both the countries. The balance of trade was highly in favour of Switzerland as its exports to Pakistan in 2014-15 were $ 288.19 million, he said, and stressed that more Pakistani products should be given easy access to Swiss market to rationalise trade balance.
He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) was poised to create great opportunities for investors in all important sectors and it was the right time that more Swiss companies came to Pakistan to explore opportunities for investment and joint ventures in areas of interest.
He said that Swiss technology and machinery of textiles, flour milling and pharmaceutical sectors was quite popular in Pakistan, and urged that Swiss manufacturers should set up production plants in more areas in Pakistan.
ICCI Senior Vice-President Sheikh Pervez Ahmed, Vice President Sheikh Abdul Waheed and other businessmen also spoke on the occasion and shared ideas for further improving bilateral trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Switzerland.
