Daily Times

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Ambassador in Australia Naila Chohan said on Saturday she was determined to convince Australian quarantine experts to visit Pakistan to facilitate export cooked chicken and other food products to Australia.

The ambassador was talking to LCCI President Abdul Basit at a lunch she hosted in honour of LCCI delegation at her home. Consul General in Sydney Majid Yousafani, Sally Deane from International issues branch of Austrade, Deputy High Commissioner Dr Khalid Ejaz, official in Australian High Commission Amir Khan and LCCI delegates including Talha Tayyab Butt, Waleed Ayub, Haroon Samad and Salman Basit were prominent among other participants.

The ambassador said that Pakistani businessmen who intend to do business with Australia should improve their standards as Australians are quite conscious about quality of products. The ambassador said that she would re-strengthen High Commission’s liaison with Lahore Chamber to expedite volume of two-way trade and increase exchange of delegations.

The LCCI president invited the attention of the participants towards untapped potential of Halal products in Pakistan. He said that Pakistan can get a considerable share out of $16 billion Australian Market of Halal products.

Abdul Basit said that the LCCI was preparing its recommendations to increase exports and as soon as the report is finalised it would also sent to all the Pakistani missions abroad. “The aim is to win maximum share of global exports commensurate to Pakistan’s potential”, he added and said that presently the situation is not as good as it should be, Abdul Basit added.

The LCCI president said that said that Australian technology and experience in Power Generation, Agriculture, Livestock, Sports goods, Information Technology, Health and Education sectors of Pakistan could play important role for economic uplift of the country. He said that with extensive natural resources, including oil and natural gas reserves, the fourth-largest coal reserves in the world and potential for hydropower, Pakistan offers marvelous opportunities to Australian businessmen.

Abdul Basit also stressed the need for an enhanced bilateral trade between the two countries.