Minister invites Dutch companies

Asks them to look for investment avenues in different sectors

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Commerce and Investment Syed Naveed Qamar has said that the Netherlands is the second largest trade partner of Pakistan in the European Union and a key investor in various sectors of the country.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday, the minister emphasised that strong trade and investment cooperation was an important component of Pakistan-Netherlands bilateral relations.

While visiting The Hague, the minister held meetings with the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) stakeholders including the Dutch officials, businesses, trade bodies and civil society organisations.

The minister met the Netherland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Paul Huijts and remarked that the Netherlands was an important trading partner and one of the largest investors in Pakistan.

Qamar highlighted that the GSP Plus was an excellent template and a success story of mutually beneficial cooperation, as Pakistan’s exports to the Netherlands increased 103% and the Netherlands’ exports to Pakistan grew 107%, since the inception of the scheme in 2014.

He expressed hope that the new GSP Plus regulation would continue to focus on its central tenets of supporting sustainable development, poverty alleviation and good governance in the beneficiary countries.

Later, the commerce minister addressed a seminar on trade and investment opportunities and the compliance regime in Pakistan.

He spoke about the trade and investment opportunities and possible avenues of collaboration between the Dutch and Pakistani businesses.

The minister invited Dutch companies to explore business opportunities in Pakistan in different sectors including agriculture, dairy, water management, maritime and clean energy.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 27^th, 2022.

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