Pakistan can help Sri Lanka set up plants

Pakistan can help in return for import of goods under a barter trade arrangement, says Board of Investment chairman.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan can help Sri Lanka set up sugar and cement plants in return for import of Sri Lankan goods under a barter trade arrangement, said Chairman Board of Investment (BOI), Saleem H Mandviwala on Saturday.

According to a statement issued by the BOI, Mandviwala said Pakistan has offered a soft credit of $200 million to Sri Lanka for export, barter trade and facilitating business transactions.

He said the visa regime would be liberalised and the business community would be facilitated in their travel plans. A branch of National Bank of Pakistan in Colombo will start functioning soon on a reciprocal basis, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2010.