Tokyo: Chairman Pakistan-Japan Business Forum (PJBF), Mr. Sohail P. Ahmed alongwith a 20 member business mission is currently in Japan. Meeting was held with Mr. Makoto Shiota, President, SME Support Organization Japan alongwith with his senior team. Later Chairman PJBF and Ambassador called on President, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and meeting was also held with President Japan Overseas Investment Organization (JOI) and his senior team. In all the meetings the vibrancy of the SME Sector in Pakistan was highlighted; Japanese SME companies were invited to partner with Pakistani companies for improving their access to finance and business development services, thereby fostering SME growth, competitiveness and employment creation. The Ambassador highlighted the opportunities which the youthful population of Pakistan offered, for example 10,000 English speaking IT graduates every year as international work force ready for Japanese companies to work alongwith conducive business atmosphere created by the Government’s fiscal policies. It was reiterated that Pakistan is the crossroads between East and West, and between North and South. Trade and transportation routes that weave Asia together intersect in Pakistan — which explains why the country has to offer the energy and transportation flows for Japanese companies, which had decades old association and presence in Pakistan together with brand recognition and consumer loyalty, to continue with their investments. Both President SME Support Organization Japan and President JETRO gave very positive responses and welcomed the invitation for them to visit Pakistan themselves.
Chairman, PJBF and Ambassador also met with Chairman Japan-Pakistan Business Council and also Chairman of Marubeni Corporation Mr. Teruo Asada to review and discuss expansion of bilateral trade and investment. Chairman Asada gave a positive review of his first ever visit to Pakistan in connection with the Pakistan-Japan Joint Government Business Dialogue and said that he hoped to visit Pakistan very soon as the opportunities for business were greatly improved.
Embassy of Pakistan – Tokyo
Dated 25 May, 2016
PR # 31/2016