Punjab Minister, PCJCCI members discuss ideas to promote Chinese investment in Pakistan

Gwadar Pro

Lahore: Caretaker Punjab Provincial Minister for Industries and Energy S M Tanveer and office-bearers of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI) discussed and exchanged ideas to promote Chinese investment in Pakistan here at PCJCCI Secretariat.

The joint chamber’s President Moazzam Ghurki and Executive Committee members, former FPCCI chairman Manzoor Malik, former PCJCCI President SM Naveed and Daud Ahmed were also present.

Sharing his views, S M Tanveer said that around 700 small, medium and large scale Chinese companies were currently working in various sectors in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and this number was likely to grow in the future.

Chinese companies, he mentioned, were interested in investing in sectors of electronics, automotive, educational exchange programmes, insurance, agriculture, textiles, shoe manufacturing, chemicals, battery recycling plant and real estate and” We should facilitate them for the economic growth and stability”.

On this occasion Moazzam Ghurki said that low-priced energy was produced in China through incineration of waste materials.

This model could prove to be a solution for energy crisis and environmental pollution in Pakistan. He added that many Chinese companies were willing to invest in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incineration for power generation, he added.

He urged the government to adopt waste-to-energy incineration model in Pakistan in partnership with Chinese expert companies.

In his comments, Manzoor Malik suggested that “We should conduct various B2B (business to business) meetings among Chinese and Pakistani businessmen to increase the scope of trade and investment in the above mentioned areas.”

The session observed that counseling with Chinese business community was mandatory to increase the quantum of trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan.

Former PCJCCI President S M Naveed maintained that China had been encouraging its companies to invest and do business in Pakistan and the PCJCCI was playing an important role in this regard.

“There is great potential to be tapped in China-Pakistan economic cooperation, particularly keeping in view the CPEC,” he remarked adding that with the initiation of the CPEC, there had been a surge in investment flows into Pakistan, especially in infrastructure and energy sector.