Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and Chinese Embassy to work closely for easing business community’s visa process

PESHAWAR: The business community on Friday urged the authorities to simplify visa issuance process to give further boost to bilateral trade between Pakistan and China.

The demand was made during a meeting between Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz and Counsellor Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Pakistan Shen Zicheng at the Chamber House, said a press release.

Shahid Hussain, senior vice-president, Abdul Jalil Jan, vice-president of the SCCI, executive committee members Ghulam Bilal Javed, Sadiq Amin, Ihsanullah, Nisarullah, Shamsul Rahim, Altaf Baig, Chinese Embassy Islamabad representative Zhou, visa officer Furrukh Farid, NH Kazmi, Hidayat Mohammad, Aurangzeb, Sher Afsar and others were present at the meeting.

Zicheng assured the business community that the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad would take measures to ease the visa process and issue visas to members of the business community on recommendation of the chamber. Maqsood Anwar, while speaking on the occasion, termed the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) a game changer, which would make the Pakistan as centre of economic activities. He said the CPEC would ensure brighter future of Pakistan. He said the mutual trade between Pakistan and China can be enhanced by launching of joint venture, exchange of business delegations and jointly organising trade exhibitions.

“KP has the capacity to generate 50,000 megawatts hydel power,” the SCCI chief claimed. He invited the Chinese investors to invest in the hydel power generation, oil and gas, tourism, gems and jewellery, marble, mine and minerals, honey, pharmaceutical, medical and other potential sectors in KP and to take full benefits from investment opportunities in the province. The Chinese diplomat agreed with recommendations of the SCCI president regarding further improving bilateral trade between Pakistan and China and said Chinese investors are keen to invest in KP’s potential sectors. For this purpose, he said they would collaborate with SCCI to further strengthen trade and economic relations between the two countries.

In the meeting, a documentary was run, highlighting potential sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Former president of SCCI, Faiz Mohammad Faizi, and members of the business community gave various suggestions about simplifying visa process to further enhance mutual trade and economic relations between Pakistan and China.