Vast potential exists to enhance Pak-Lanka trade: SL Consul General

Consul General of Sri Lanka in Karachi, D.W. Jinadasa, has said efforts are being made to improve bilateral trade between Sri Lanka and Pakistan, as a vast potential exists to enhance trade ties between the two countries. He was speaking at an Iftar dinner hosted by the president of Pak-Sri Lanka Business Forum, Tarek Khan, at a local hotel here.

A former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Majyd Aziz, and prominent businessman Rauf Tabani, were also present. Jinadasa said a Sri Lankan trade delegation is due here in October this year. It will participate in the Expo Pakistan in the city and that there will also be a Sri Lankan Pavilion. “We are planning to have interactive promotion sessions with the Pakistani business community, investors, traders, industrialists to let them aware of what is available in Sri Lanka”, the Sri Lankan diplomat remarked. He said, “We are looking closely at the government, the private sector trade associations and others for improving bilateral trade ties. For this, Janadasa stated, the two countries had inked a framework agreement a few years ago and they were working hard to further improve trade relations. Positive trends have emerged in this regard during the last four to five years and that the bilateral trade volume increased last year to over $350 million.

“We need to improve the trade ties further,” the Sri Lankan Consul General stressed. He said that there is a vast potential and the business community needs to explore available opportunities.

Jinadasa said that, during the last few years, he has seen a lot of new products and services entered into each other’s markets which is a good mark and “we need to capitalise on these in order to expand our bilateral trade”.

He said that for the Pakistan products that can be exported to Sri Lanka included pharmaceuticals, industrial products like steel pipes, agricultural products such as basmati rice, potatoes, onions and cement.

From Sri Lankan side there are spices, betel nuts, tea, coconut products, rubber, rubber-based products, ceramics, ceramic-based products, gems and jewellery products etc.

Jinadasa said a delegation of businessmen from Pakistan had visited Sri Lanka Expo in Colombo in March this year.(Business Record)