ISLAMABAD  - As many as 10 Pakistani companies will participate in the Xiamen International Stone Fair scheduled to be held in China from March 6 to 9, 2013.
“This is for the second time that Pakistan is participating in this international fair to showcase its marble and stone products and develop business with international buyers,” a senior official of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) told APP here Monday.
These companies would be participating in the fair under the banner of TDAP and the authority has been finalizing arrangements for participation in it,” Director of the Authority, Robina Taufiq Shah said.
“We have been finalizing the arrangements as the authority has asked the interested companies to register themselves with TDAP till January 4, so that further arrangements for participation in the fair could be made.
Robina was of the view that the participation in the fair would help Pakistan.
She said that China was one of the major importers of Pakistani marble so this fair would help Pakistani businessmen to further boost marble trade with China.
Robina said this is an opportunity for domestic stone industry to showcase and develop business with international buyers through this fair and promote Pakistan’s trade at intentional level.
“During the exhibition products in focus would be marble and granite, tiles, slabs and blocks , stone-carved crafts, gems and stones,” she said. In addition, artificial stone products, stone mine exploration equipment, stone processing machinery, abrasive, chemical technologies and equipment for stone maintenance, monitoring and measuring apparatus would be also displayed in the exhibition.
Giving details about the participation fee structure, she said that Rs 90,000 would be charged for shell scheme whereas Rs.350,000 for outdoor scheme.
Meanwhile, Robina Taufiq Shah termed the recently held Developing Eight (D8) conference very successful, which she said would go a long way in promoting Pakistani exports in the member countries. She said that TDAP has been involved in follow up exercise to identify export-potential products to help member countries enhance trade for mutual benefit.
She said that promotion of women entrepreneurship across that country was one of the priorities of the TDAP, adding that efforts are underway to provide business women a spaced for marketing in all major cities of the country.
“The problem the women businesswomen are facing to enhance their businesses is marketing and TDAP is making all out efforts to provide them space for marketing,” she added.