Expo Pakistan 2015: Exhibition expected to do over $1b business

Prime Minister will give Export Innovation Award to top 12 exporting firms

KARACHI:

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), the apex export promotion body in the country, expects to get export orders of over $1 billion from the upcoming Expo Pakistan 2015.

“A large number of international exhibitors and buyers have confirmed their participation in the Expo Pakistan 2015, which shows that the international business community has confidence in business policies of the government,” TDAP Chief Executive SM Muneer said on Monday while speaking to a press conference at the TDAP head office.

The briefing was organised to provide details of the four-day exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on February 25 at the Sindh Governor House.



According to Muneer, 789 foreign delegates have already confirmed their bookings while another 300 to 400 are expected to confirm their participation in the next few days. The event will be held at the Karachi Expo Centre from February 26 to March 1.

The organisers of the annual event expect over 30,000 national and international trade visitors this year, up from about 20,000, who visited the fair last year.

On the other hand, over 0.2 million general visitors are expected to come to see the products on display in the exhibition this year.

In 2013, the Expo Pakistan generated business deals close to $1 billion, up from $690 million in 2012.

The first two days will be restricted to trade visitors only while the last two days will be open for general visitors.

This year, Prime Minister Sharif will give the Export Innovation Award during the exhibition to the top 12 exporting firms of the country.

TDAP Secretary Rabiya Javeri Agha told the media that total expenditure on this year’s exhibition would be close to Rs140 million. “We will try to keep our expenditures within the allocated funds,” she added.



Over 350 stalls are being set up in the exhibition halls and exhibitors are coming from diverse fields including textile, agro food, engineering, home décor, handicrafts, chemicals, leather, surgical, sports goods, services, minerals & metals, gems & jewellery, footwear, pharmaceuticals, readymade garments, etc.

Foreign delegates are mainly coming from Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Japan, China, Germany, Malaysia, Holland, Russia, USA, Australia, South Korea, India, Thailand, Brazil, Hong Kong, Iran and Vietnam.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2015.

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