The Japan International
Cooperation Agency (Jica) has announced that it will launch a new programme to
step up imports of Pakistan’s textile products from February next year. In this
regard, a joint website of Jica and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
(TDAP) has been developed in order to provide credible information about
Japanese markets to exporters in Pakistan.
Disclosing this, Jica
Adviser to TDAP and head of delegates, Hideaki Shimizu told industrialists that
Japanese buyers had their own standards as they were very conscious about
product quality. Hence, the exporters should follow their trends.
He said Japanese importers
visited the Pakistan-Japan Textile Day held recently in Lahore and engaged in
productive meetings with the exporters. Such meetings would help them
understand each other, he said.
Replying to a question, a
Japanese importer suggested that Pakistan and Japan should enter into a free
trade agreement for which the Pakistani exporters would have to exert pressure
on the government.
He pointed out that
Pakistan’s export consignments took 17 days to reach Japan via sea route and
said the duration should be curtailed by promoting fast movement of import and
export consignments.
Faisalabad Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Vice President Jameel Ahmed outlined some basic
issues that were hindering bilateral trade.
The FCCI fully understands
the importance of bilateral trade and in this regard we want to sign a
memorandum of understanding with leading chambers of Japan, he said. FCCI
Senior Vice President Syed Zia Alamdar Hussain said though businessmen of
Faisalabad were dealing with importers of the US and European Union, they had
to cope with the condition of laboratory test.
He suggested that Jica
should set up a laboratory that could issue certificates, particularly for
Japanese markets. He also asked the Japanese agency to install a water
treatment plant in Faisalabad as it was already helping the Water and
Sanitation Agency (Wasa) to manage the water supply and sewerage system.
source: tribune