Japan seeks facilitation at ports to increase imports from Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Japanese government on Tuesday urged Pakistani authorities to improve facilitations at the ports to increase exports to Japan.

Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Kuninori Matsuda said Japan intends to extend business relations with Pakistan and wishes to import mangoes, rice, fish and textile products from Pakistan. He called for arrangements at the ports that could facilitate agriculture product exports.

“Japan will extend help to Pakistan in providing debt relief and after the preliminary work on the initiative an MOU (memorandum of understanding) will be formally signed with Pakistan,” Matsuda said during a meeting with the Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Hafeez Shaikh.

The ambassador assured all possible help and assistance to the government of Pakistan. “With the regional peace and stable political situation regional trade will flourish and offer better opportunities to Pakistan,” he said.

Pakistani government is trying to get permission from the Japanese government to export fruits and vegetables after getting clearance for its mangoes. Mango export to Japan was a complicated process due to the coronavirus outbreak. Japan is a high-value market of mangoes. Market shares in the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Belgium and Netherlands are rising steadily. Considering an expected reduction in exports this year, Japanese market should further be tapped, according to analysts.

Japanese traders are trying to import medical equipment and surgical instruments directly from Pakistan. In the past, these devices came to Japan via Germany. Shaikh said Japan is a time tested friend of Pakistan and has always supported the country.

“Pakistan’s relationship with Japan will continue to become stronger with every passing day,” he said in a statement.

The finance adviser apprised the ambassador on the state of the economy during the past year and how the government had made efforts to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Shaikh said Pakistani economy started to move in the right direction before Covid-19 pandemic. “We had been successful in increasing our tax revenues, controlling our current account deficit, have generated a primary surplus, controlled our expenditures, put a ban on borrowing from the central bank and had been successful in creating a conducive environment for exports,” he said. “I am very hopeful that Pakistan would regain stability and equilibrium as the number of active cases of Covid-19 is declining.”