Johannes burg    -   The Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation in collaboration with the High Commission of Pakistan in South Africa hosted a delegation comprising participants of 120th National Management Course who are on a foreign study tour from Pakistan. In this regard, from the PSATF efforts were made to make this visit of top government officials of Pakistan effective in collaboration with the local business community so that the trade and investment environment in Africa could be improved for Pakistani business community. During the meeting, members of the delegation discussed Pak-Africa relations, especially visa, work permit and promotion of bilateral trade. The delegation, which is on a study tour to Kenya and South Africa, was led by Dr. Naveed Ahmad Chaudhry, Directing Staff NMC, Government of Pakistan while other members included Mr Bilal Ahmad Butt (PAS Group) Mr Syed Khurram Ali (PSP Group) Mr Syed Khurram Ali (PSP Group), Mrs Iram Tanvir (INF Group) Mr Muhammad Ejaz-ul-Haq (PA&NS Group), Mr Aftab Muhammad Khan (SG Group), Ms Iram Masroor (IRS Group) and Mr Aurangzeb Adil (EXE NA Group). The purpose of the delegation’s visit to South Africa is to create awareness about the problems of the Pakistani community living in Africa and to formulate proposals for their solutions and to suggest measures to promote the country’s exports and investment.

The Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation provided all possible support and guidance to the senior Pakistani officials in view of the importance of their visit besides organising a lavish dinner reception in their honour at the Hilton Hotel Johannesburg, which was attended by delegates from Pakistan, officials of the Pakistan High Commission, members of the Pakistani community, officials of trade bodies as well as the local business community. Prominent industrialists Rai Ali Intikhab and Mehtab Khan also took part in the management of this event. The ceremony started with recitation of Holy Quran by Muhammad Iqbal Qureshi.

Leading industrialist Rai Ali Intikhab, representing the Pakistani business community based in South Africa, welcomed the guests and thanked them for their attending the event. Muhammad Rafiq Memon, Founder Chairman, Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation addressed the ceremony and presented the aims and objectives of the Federation.

He said that Pakistan Southern Africa Trade Federation since last ten years, has been functioning as the only organised and active trading entity not only in South Africa but also in the whole of Southern Africa and now East Africa, which has so far hosted over 32 trade delegations from Pakistan and other countries, various trade delegations from Pakistan and Africa have been exchanged under the banner of the Federation, business and trade investment seminars, symposiums and conferences to promote bilateral trade, as well as events are organised on Pakistan’s National Days. He made various proposals for increasing bilateral trade between Pakistan and South Africa, emphasizing the need of visit of at least two or three high-level delegations at the government level to Africa in order to highlight and resolve the problems of the business community regarding trade policies, Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and visas.

Mr Muhammad Rafiq Memon urged the delegation that the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, Ministry of Commerce and Foreign Affairs should make bilateral trade agreements with the African government as African continent in various fields as the continent’s trade volume is about $800 billion and various sectors where trade is done includes textiles, engineering, sports goods, surgical equipment, food, confectionery, auto engineering parts, cement, sanitary items, cutlery, rice medical equipment, mining, skill development and IT. He added that at this time Pakistan’s 18 mission and almost nine trade attachés are working in Africa which is inadequate, so he suggested that local traders and people of good reputation should be made honorary trade investment counselors and honorary consulates based on merit so that they can play their role in promoting Pakistani exports. Referring to the SIFC he said that, “We are going to organise a seminar in the mining sector in June 2024 with the coordination of Pakistan High Commission in which efforts will be made to convince the traders of the local mining sector to invest in Pakistan.” He said that they have planned visit of delegations to Pakistan for investment in IT and other sectors also.