President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari has said that Pakistan with a growing economy offers potential for attractive returns and long-term growth across various sectors to the Spanish corporate sector.

He said this while speaking to a delegation of a Spanish Company, G.M.DEFENSA, dealing in training activities, consulting services and exploring possibilities of business opportunities comprising FRANCISCO GALVAN PRADO, ELOY ARIZA DOMINGO, Shahbaz Muhammad Khatoon and Atif Muhammad Khatoon here at the Chamber house.

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari said that Spain is the world’s leading power in the olive oil and table olive sector, food processing and sharing of its expertise in solar and windrower sectors can be a great breakthrough for Pakistan.

He added that Pakistan is an excellent tourism destination, its textile industry and information technology sectors are equally important for Spain and that ICCI will be happy to connect the Spanish companies with Pakistan’s premier defence production institution, Defense Export Promotion Organization (DEPO) for joint ventures.

He further said that Spanish investors can explore partnerships in pharmaceutical, sports sectors by saying that Pakistan also wants to have access to the Latin American market via Spain to explore the business possibilities for the advantage of all the stakeholders.

Franciso Galvan Pardo of GM DEFENSA said that an MoU between the Madrid Chamber of Commerce and Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry will go a long way in enhancing the close collaboration between the business communities of the two countries and that their firm will play its role for the needful.

Shahbaz Muhammad Khatoon said that they have found Pakistan completely a peaceful, safe and secure country which is the best destination for investment by saying that Spain is a potential market for Pakistani Rice and fertilizer and that the main objective of their visit is to offer this opportunity to the Pakistani business community.

Former President ICCI Akram Farid apprised the delegation about the investment friendly atmosphere in Pakistan including the tax exemption for ten years for investment in Economic Zones adding that Pakistan is the producer of the best quality rice in the world as well as the Pink Salt, Steel, Marble and Flowers and Spanish corporate sector can derive benefit by importing the products.

Secretary General United Business Group Zafar Bakhtawari said that Pakistan has a lot of good-will for Spain because both are connected through a shared history. He said that Pakistan is spending huge foreign exchange on the import of palm oil and that by producing olive oil with the help of Spain will usher a revolution in its agriculture sector.

ICCI Vice President Azhar-ul-Islam Zafar, Khalid Chaudhry, Ch. Mohammad Ali, Rizwan Chheena, Shaikh Mohammad Ejaz, Jamshaid Akhtar Shaikh, Malik Nadeem Akhtar and Nasir Mahmood, Javaid Malik of Star marketing were also present on the occasion.