LAHORE: Ambassador of Netherlands Wouter Plomp has invited Pakistani entrepreneurs to initiate joint ventures with their counterparts in Netherlands in food processing, poultry, maritime, shipping, agriculture, logistics and various other potential areas.
He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry. LCCI President Mian Nauman Kabir presented the address of welcome while senior vice president Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and vice president Haris Ateeq also spoke on the occasion.
The ambassador said that a delegation of nine Pakistani cheese manufacturing companies would visit Netherlands to learn the modern process. He said that Netherlands was ready to share knowledge with Pakistan.
To a question, he said that to continue GSP Plus Status, Pakistan would have to ensure implementation of all conventions. He stressed the need of strengthening mutual trade ties.
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“There are bright opportunities to develop the business-to-business contacts between the businessmen of both the countries. The private sector of Pakistan should come forward and tap and explore the untapped potential of the market of Netherlands.
Mian Nauman Kabir said that Pakistan always took Netherlands as a key trading partner in whole Europe. After UK and Germany, Netherlands was third top export destination for Pakistan, he added.
He said that both countries were maintaining good level of mutual trade and the highlight of the relations was that the balance of trade had consistently been in favour of Pakistan. “It is quite encouraging that from 2016 onward, the exports of Pakistan to Netherlands are following increasing trend.
“We need to maintain it as Pakistan is in great need of enhancing its national exports to overcome trade deficit”, he said.
According to the State Bank of Pakistan, the overall trade between two countries in 2020-21 was around 1.6 billion dollars. Pakistan’s exports to Netherlands were to the tune of 1.1 billion dollars and the imports were 467 million dollars.
“Number of well-known Dutch companies including Philips and FrieslandCampina are operating in Pakistan”, he said.
“JVs can help transform our agriculture and livestock sectors on modern lines”, he said, adding that FrieslandCampina which acquired Engro Foods has been playing important role in the development of dairy sector in Pakistan by bringing innovations and best practices in dairy farming, animal health and food safety. Considering the success achieved by FrieslandCampina, more Dutch companies should come forward and invest in Pakistan, he said.
He said that assistance of Netherlands in mechanised farming, floriculture, and horticulture development can be helpful for Pakistan.
“We need to adopt latest techniques to identify more tradable goods according to respective market needs and create more and more liaison between the business communities of the two countries”, he said.
Mian Rehman Aziz Chan said that Pakistani entrepreneurs were benefiting from many programs launched by the Dutch Embassy. He also called for transfer of technology from Netherlands to Pakistan.
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