Malaysia vows supply of cheap palm by-products to Pakistan

Assures soap industry of resolving their genuine problems

LAHORE: Malaysian Consul General Khairul Nazran Abd Rahman has agreed to supply all palm by-products to Pakistan at reasonable prices.

Addressing as chief guest at an event at the Pakistan Soap Manufacturers Association (PSMA), he said Malaysia had excellent relationship with all traders of Pakistan, especially the importers of ghee, oil and soap industry, and added that efforts would be made to deepen the ties further.

“We will also endeavour to supply all palm by-products at reasonable prices so general consumers can access them,” he said. He voiced hope that fruitful talks would be held between ministers of the two countries so that businessmen and people of both nations could benefit from each other’s experiences.

The consul general emphasised that genuine problems of the soap industry pertaining to Malaysia would be resolved in an amicable manner and all obstacles would be removed soon. Speaking on the occasion, renowned businessman Abdul Rashid Jan Muhammad requested the consul general to play his role in promoting the soap industry.

Earlier, outgoing PSMA chairman Usman Ahmed informed participants that Malaysia exported raw material of soap to Pakistan and highlighted the challenges faced by the soap industry.

He also spoke about trade agreements between Pakistan and Malaysia and the importance of bilateral trade under the free trade agreement (FTA) and preferential trade agreement (PTA).

“Most of the raw material for the soap industry is imported from Malaysia, hence the balance of trade is in favour of Malaysia,” he stated, adding “Malaysia should extend maximum facilities to Pakistan’s soap manufacturers, particularly facilitation in visa process.”

He suggested that Malaysian investors should invest more in Pakistan so that Pakistani products could have better access to the Malaysian market.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2019.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.