ASSALAMU ALAIKUM
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME
to the annual dinner of Pakistan Russia Business Forum. It is a great honour for me to speak before this august gathering tonight. As President of Pakistan Russian Business Forum, it was my endeavour to make this very vibrant organization a bridge between the business communities of both countries. This Forum serves as a catalyst in promoting trade and business between our two great Nations. Russia even after its disintegration in 1991 still holds land on which an air flight takes 10½ hours to reach from one end to the other end with a 2 trillion dollar economy, having Purchase power and Positive growth and a major power since last so many years has not been focused seriously since our independence. Though attempts have been made on different occasions and by different governments specially in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s time, many power plants, Pakistan Steel Mills (Soft Credit for Expansion of project from 1.1 million MT up to 5.0 million MT per year production capacity in 3 stages) and many other projects were not only initiated but completed which brought prosperity and jobs availability at that time. These project by virtue of our casual and at times reckless management, political involvement, became burden on our National Exchequer.
Everything is very well known and does not need further elaboration. Nobody can blame the wonderful technology and assistance provided by Russia but can blame only ourselves.
Let By gones be bygones:
We still have a lot of potential in sharing trade/ technology/ Business with this great Nation. It is not good to cry over spilt milk but we should make good what has been done wrong. For that.
- Our countries economic polices should not be based on political pressures.
- Our projects/ equipment technology purchases should not be based on the cheapest suppliers but on quality suppliers.
- Our focus should now be on principles governing rather than party/ people/ governing.
- Russia is one of the closest Eastern European market with a population of 143 million.
- Most of the imports and equipments, technology for Pakistan, Russia is the most favourite quality supplier.
- Dams/ Barrages, Roads, Railways (Supply of MT Rails Tracks/ New and Refurbished Locomotives and Wagons/ Signaling System equipped by advance technology, Investment for Trains Operation of Public Private Partnership), shipping line, pipelines (may be Oil & Gas or power supply lines). Explorations in Oil & Gas (Supply of equipments/ Rigs, Mud Pump/ processing plants/ LNG and LPG storage terminals).
In the workshop of Pakistan – China cooperation in the field of Oil & Gas sectors yesterday it was informed that Pakistan was endowed with a 160 Trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas reserves including 105 TCF of Shale Gas reserves. Its exploitations needs huge investment which China and Russia can do due to state of the art Tech and knocuhow.
- Space technology for weather and outer space expeditions.
- Defence equipments including Helicopters/ Jet/ Fighter aircraft, armaments, Missile technology, plus, plus.
- Security training/ equipments,
- Metallurgical complexes, Gassification technology, Mining (Mining of Iron Ore/ Mining of Bauxite/ Mining of Copper and other minerals/ Supply of mining equipment on credit with soft terms such as Bulldozers) Medical Science (just for your information laser eye treatment was introduced by Russia. Still they have unique equipment and technology to treat cancer and other fatal diseases.
- Seismic analysis technology and equipment.
- Power plants
- Urea and agriculture equipments including tractors and allied items.
- Farming technology, etc. etc.
- Our contacts should be established with Russian Union of Industrialists and the employers (all large Industries and Employers are the members of this union).
- To establish business contacts with the state organizations of Regions and Republics. They have their independent financial sources.
- Different social welfare, hospital and NGO,s (They are also importing goods through their ministries).
- Establish working contacts with the Mayors of big and small cities. These mayors have huge budgets too.
- Close contacts with the concerning Ministries and Departments.
- Permanent contacts with RCCI, Trade Associations/Organizations, Steel Merchant and Manufacturer Unions, Textile Associations, Pharmaceuticals Trade Associations/Organizations and many others.
- Seminars and conferences on Trade relations between Pakistan and Russia.
- The most important deficiency has been awareness of Pakistan products in Russian market and Russian products in Pakistan market. The need of the day is to exchange fashion designers from Pakistan to make a visit to different cities of Russia on reciprocity basis or GOP should sponsor as we need to capture US$200 Billion market and target that our minimum share should be 2% by year 2020.
Pakistan can have a big market in Russia for textiles, Pharmaceuticals, herbal medicines, leather, butter goods, Rice, Fruits and Vegetable, meat, frozen and fresh sea food, sports goods, surgical equipments, furniture, biscuits and confectionary. A very important upcoming industry is auto parts & marble etc.
Our 1st hand marketing tools are our Embassies and Trade offices.
- Our great lacking is equipping our Embassies with proper manpower including young graduates of good Universities; they should be trained for Russian language and posted at trade sections as research officers and with proper fundings for their travelling to different cities and doing in-depth studies if we cant afford, than at least the be deputed at TDAP and should visit every quarter for 3 to 4 weeks.
Our Embassies and trade offices are so much under budget that they look forward to the local businessmen for finds and favours and there our country policies are compromised. This has to be very critically analyzed and if a mission is opened, it should have all facilities provided by Government of Pakistan only.
One of the main barriers between Pakistan and Russia trade is the claims of Pakistan businessmen of the soviet Era on Russian Government. This government under the very able leadership of Mr. Ishaq Dar, Minister of Finance, Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Minister of Commerce and Mr. Miftah Ismail, Chairman BOI is actively trying to settle it and we hope it is done in the nearest future before it is too late.
Though the trade figures between Pakistan and Russia are not at all encouraging i.e. only $ 600M with such huge economy, still there can be a sharp and promising increase in trade business if the delegations are taken to Russia after deep study as simple export to this country may not be the only way but we should now plan to seriously invest by way of warehouses in Moscow/ St. Petersburg, Far Eastern cities/ provinces, Kazan and many other Industrial, oil and gas based cities where purchase power is high and our Pakistanis entrepreneurs have not yet discovered. Few might have done individually, but TDAP/ FPCCI/ KCCI may study these areas.
We need awareness drive, specially through print and electronic media and exchange of media delegations who can project Pakistani picture and opportunity to the Russian people and vice versa.
In the end I would like to thank all the Honourable guests, Diplomats, Honorary Consuls and electronic media, Presidents of different Forums, members of PRBF specially Mr. Tariq Rafi for his generous contribution to organize this event, Brig Tariq Khalil Saheb – a young man who initiated the whole program from day one, all our members and executive committee specially Dr. Zahid Hasan and Sohail Aziz Saheb. It was a teams effort.
