Indonesian consul general urges diversification of Pakistan’s exports to address trade imbalance

KARACHI: Consul General of Indonesia Dr June Kuncoro Hadiningrat emphasized the necessity of diversifying Pakistan’s exports to Indonesia to effectively tackle the prevailing trade imbalance between the two nations. His remarks came during a farewell reception hosted by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday.

He said that high-quality leather goods, surgical and several other products can also be exported to Indonesia. “Indonesian delegations, during their visits to Pakistan from time to time, prefer to carry out most of their shopping in Karachi as this city offers good quality products.”

Addressing concerns about the trade deficit, the consul general mentioned that during his tenure, efforts were made to encourage Pakistani exports to Indonesia, and it was really heartening to see that Pakistani rice was successfully exported to Indonesia not only last year but also this year.“To further improve trade ties between the two brotherly countries, I always encourage the maximum number of Indonesian delegations to visit Pakistan,” he added.

Dr June further said that the last three years of his service as the Indonesian consul general in Karachi were quite rewarding, thanks to the full support and cooperation extended by the KCCI in bringing the business communities of both countries closer.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson of the Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala said, “We had a good time with Dr June, who has become a good friend of Karachi’s business community throughout his tenure.

Dr June was just a call away to fully facilitate us in dealing with visa-, travel- and trade-related issues.”While referring to quota restrictions on Pakistani exports to Indonesia, he requested Dr June to look into the possibility of getting these quota restrictions removed on his return to Jakarta, which could result in enhancing the exports of Pakistan to Indonesia.

He noted that Pakistan’s exports to Indonesia stood at a meagre $125 million, whereas goods worth $3.2 billion were being imported from Indonesia, which needs special attention so that Pakistan’s exports could also be enhanced to a reasonable level for efficiently dealing with the issue of trade imbalance.

Keeping in view strong ties between the KCCI and the Indonesian consulate, Zubair Motiwala also requested Dr June to convey the KCCI’s message to his successor, urging the new appointee to prioritize a meeting with the KCCI upon assuming office in Karachi. “We wish best of luck and success to Dr June for all his future endeavours,” Motiwala added.