'Indonesia provides Pakistan access to $2tr market'

Says widening of PTA’s scope to further ramp up bilateral trade

RAWALPINDI: Indonesia, along with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states, is a huge market with great potential for Pakistani products and businessmen should focus on these countries in order to promote trade and exports, said Indonesian High Commissioner Iwan Suyudhie Amri.

Talking to business community at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Monday, he said relations between Indonesia and Pakistan were touching new highs, adding that bilateral ties had seen a marked improvement in all fields over the past couple of years.The envoy said Indonesia, with a population of over 250 million, was the largest Muslim country and provided easy access for Pakistan to a $2-trillion Asean market.

“The bilateral trade volume has crossed the $3.1-billion mark and an increase in the scope of preferential trade agreement (PTA) will further ramp up trade volumes,” he added.

He praised efforts of the RCCI to strengthen bilateral relations through business opportunity conferences and exhibitions. He assured the chamber of the embassy’s full cooperation and assistance for the upcoming International Rawal Expo 2020.

He also pointed out that the embassy would share trade inquiries and business-related information with the RCCI so that its members could take advantage of the available opportunities for promoting trade and exports to Indonesia.

“Relations between the two countries are heading in the right direction and we hope that these relations will get a further boost in the coming days,” Amri added.

Speaking on the occasion, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Malik Shahid Saleem said Pakistan and Indonesia had enjoyed cordial relations and there was a need to transform the good relations into thriving bilateral trade, investment and joint ventures between the two countries.

Both countries should provide better market access to each other’s private sector, grant more tariff concessions and remove all non-tariff barriers, he stated. “This will help in promotion of bilateral trade up to its actual potential,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2019.

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