ISLAMABAD – Ambassador of Norway to Pakistan Robert Kvile on Tuesday said his country is holding an international conference regarding business opportunities in Pakistan that will help boost trade and attract new investments.
Telecom operator Telenor is currently hiring best people available to make this conference a success; he said adding that world needs to know about great business opportunity that Pakistan offer. The conference will help foreign investors to identify business possibilities in Pakistan, he said.
Talking to FPCCI Standing Committee on Trade Chairman Humayun Sayeed and FPCCI Standing Committee Media Chairman Malik Sohail, the ambassador said that a Norwegian delegation recently visited Pakistan and decided to enhance investments as well as imports.
Kvile informed that Bama-Gruppen AS, Norway’s largest distributor of fruit and vegetable which is largest player in Europe has decided to enhance imports from Pakistan with focus on mangoes. He said that Pakistan’s furniture industry is spectacular but they need to examine the taste and demand patterns of European countries.
Norwegian designers can help Pakistan to boost exports, he added. The ambassador said that bilateral trade can be enhanced through thoroughly planned visits of businessmen. He said that Pakistan is a very important country and Norway is helping it in sectors like education, health, NGOs as well as preservation of local culture.
He agreed to the assertion of Humayun Sayeed, that government should leave businesses to business community and avoid unnecessary interference. “It is business community and not the state that can boost economy,” said former FPCCI vice president Sayeed.
Kvile also agreed to proposal of Malik Sohail to provide a list of nominees for the post of Royal Norwegian Consulate General in Karachi. Sohail demanded efforts aimed at single country exhibitions and establishment of Norwegian-funded skill development facilities in all the major cities.
“We need opportunities to help Pakistan achieve economic self-reliance,” he stressed. While stressing the need to explore possibilities of joint ventures, Sohail also invited the envoy and Norwegian investors to a FPCCI seminar scheduled shortly to boost trade and commerce.
Pakistan, he said, welcomes foreign investment in various sectors and has designed its policy accordingly with multiple incentives. Robert Kvile invited FPCCI delegation to the conference is Oslo. To a question, he said that Norway would not interfere in any business; even in those in which his country is the biggest stakeholder.
