Businessmen asked to tap Cambodian market

Envoy assures them of full cooperation in promoting exports

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Cambodia Zaheeruddin Babar Thaheem has said that there are vast opportunities of promoting trade with Cambodia and the business community should intensify its efforts to take advantage of the avenues, while the embassy would extend all possible cooperation. He said this while addressing businessmen at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).

Thaheem informed the businessmen that Cambodia imported most of its goods from abroad to meet its needs, therefore, Pakistan could export a number of products to the Southeast Asian nation including textiles, garments, pharmaceuticals and chemicals. “Cambodian private sector is keen to promote business relations with Pakistan and the ICCI should consider sending a delegation to Laos to explore all untapped areas of mutual cooperation between the two countries,” he emphasised.

Furthermore, the construction sector in Cambodia is booming and Pakistan’s business community has good potential to export the construction material. In addition to that, Cambodia’s tourism sector is also developing rapidly and tourists from the Middle East are arriving in the country due to which there is a lot of demand for halal meat. “It is an opportunity for Pakistan to promote the export of halal meat,” he said and assured the businessmen that the embassy would cooperate with them in promoting trade and exports.

Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Muhammad Shakeel Munir stressed that close cooperation between the embassies and the private sector was important to promote Pakistan’s exports. He pointed out that the Cambodian market was untapped, so the embassy should get information about the demand for Pakistani products and share it with the chambers of commerce, which would enable the business community to take advantage of the opportunities.