MULTAN, April 13th:Swiss Charge D'affairs Mr.Nicolas Plattner has diclosed that Swiss Government has donated ten surplus Alouette-III Helicopters (with spare parts and associated kits)to Pakistan for non-combat search andrescue missions as well as for humanitarian assistance in perspective of future need for relief operation.Three of them had already delivered and remaining seven are being transferred according to the schedule.Pakistan airforce would operate and maintain these choppers on the behalf of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).Delivering his speech at a meeting of executive Committee of Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry(MCCI) chaired by Shahid Naseem Khokhar and FPCCI's former President Mian Tanvir'A Sheikh , Mian Anis A' Sheikh former Presdent of MCCI, Shehzad Ali Khan Vice Chairman of PCGA,Ajwat Arslan Khan, Commercial & trade Officer of Swiss Embassy.Mr.Noclas stressed the need for boosting trade and investment activities between Pakistan and Switzeland to achieve the common goals.He said that renowned Swiss Multinational companies had established a swiss businn Council (SBC)to develop, facilitate and monitor the trade and business relations between two countries.It was another remarkable step in bilateral trade,he added.He said that SBC has formed an alliance with Swiss Asian Chamber of Commerce ,Zurich(SACC) Pakistan is now a part of this great Swiss Asian Business axis.He suggested that Pakistani traders should approach to OSEC for requiring information,It is an organisation for promotion of Swiss exports, imports,and investment as well as for the promotion of Switzerland as a business location. Swiss diplomat said that Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency(SDC) is serving on humanitarian aid programme since 1967.So far,SDC has invested over 700 million US dollars for its development programme.During earthquake and recent floods,Switzerland also provided aid for reconstruction of 100 schools, drinking water,food, hygienic kits for thousands of flood affectees.Swis Government had contributed 10.7 million US dollars while Swiss population donated over 42 million CHF.He said that Swiss investors had injected one billion US dollars in Pakistan , 19 swiss compoanies like ABB, Clariant, Sika, Gate Gourmet,Nestle,Novartis,Roche, SICPA,SGC ,Syngenta or Nexus are well know here.These companies had created thousands of attractive jobs for Pakistanis besides marketing their world class products.He said that the economic ties between Switzeland and Pakistan are built on solid ground, a reality which the present economic circumstances did not mar.The trade between Pakistan and switzerland had been increasing steadily until recent years and reached about half a billion swiss francs in 2008Owing to the slowdown in the global economies,the tradehas, however,come down to about 360 million.Switzerland is exporting textile machinery,precision equipments,Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and watches.For its part,Pakistan is exporting textiles,garments and various agricultural products.In his welcome address Shahid Naseem Khokhar said that Multan is an important trade centre which is a gateway to Central Asian States (CAS).South Punjab is producing 80 percent cotton of country and it was playing a pivotal role in its economic development.Multan is alsop famous for its sweetest mangoes and its language so sweet like Mangoes.He stressed the need for maintaing the balance of trade between two countries because Pakistan is an undeer developed countrry.Switzerland should export Rice, cotton yarn, Cotton fabrics,carpets,rugs, footwear,leather and leather garments and handicrafts. For increasing the bilateral trade between two countries the chambers of commerce and Industry of both countrries should help keep liaison between traders and industrialists.FPCCI Former president Mian Tanvir A' Sheikh said that Switzerland should invest in energy sector as well as in agro based industry for boosting up the agricultural production.
Swiss wants promotion bilateral trade with Pakistan,Nicolas Plattner
