SCCI, Chinese delegation agree on cooperation Sectors enlisted for investment

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and a Chinese delegation on Tuesday agreed to launch a joint venture to exploit rich resources in hydel power generation, oil and gas, mineral, tourism and other potential sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The agreement came during a meeting of a seven-member Chinese delegation with SCCI former senior vice-president Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervez at the Chamber’s House.

The Chinese delegation comprised of OBOR Senior Researcher, Deputy Dean School of International Studies, Sichuan University Director, Pakistan Study Center, Dr Prof Song Zhihui, Director Tahota Law Firm, International Trade, Investment, Business Law Chunyan MA, Professor School of International Relations, Sichuan Qiu Yonghui, Researcher South Asian Study, Center Xiao Jianmei, Goulin, Li Huipin, Peng NA.

The chamber executive body members, Aftab Iqbal, Minhajuddin, Ihsanullah, Shafiq Afridi, Nasrullah Khan, Shahid Hussain, All Pakistan Commercial Exporters Association Chairman Manzoor Elahi, Managing Director, Global Entrepreneurship Network Pakistan Kashif M Khan, SMEDA provincial chief Rashid Aman, members of business community, importers and exporters were present at the meeting.

Eng Maqsood Anwar, while speaking on the occasion, termed the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as game-changer for Pakistan, which will make the region as a hub of economic activities.

However, he stressed the need for maximum focus on the western route of the CPEC instead of the eastern route, which according to him, was the shortest one and would enhance connectivity and trade activities with regional countries, including Afghanistan.

He said KP had the capacity to generate 30,000-megawatt electricity, besides had the rich resources in mine and mineral, oil and gas, gems and jewellery, marble, tourism, pharmaceutical, medical and others.

Eng Maqsood Anwar invited the Chinese companies to make the investment in the abovementioned potential sectors and take full benefits from investment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He went on to say that the future of Pakistan-China relations was bright and called for strengthening the mutual trade and economic ties by the exchange of business delegation and launching of the joint venture between the two countries.

The Chinese delegation head, Dr Prof Song agreed to recommendations of SCCI members, importers and exporters about bolstering of mutual trade and economic relations between the two countries. He said the Chinese companies were keen to make an investment under joint venture and their visit to the SCCI was aimed at identifying the potential of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and ensure investment in those sectors.

Dr Prof Song added that a tourism exhibition would be held in China in the next two or three months. He invited the KP investors to showcase potential of the province at the expo.