SIALKOT - High Commissioner of South Africa in Pakistan Mpendulo Jele has stressed a need for boosting trade ties between the two counties. He was addressing a meeting of the Sialkot exporters at Pakistan Sports Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PSGMEA). He said that the time was high to boost mutual trade ties between Pakistan and South Africa. He added that South Africa was much keen to develop its strong trade relations with Pakistan.
He also pledged to promote close mutual cooperation to establish the SMEs sector in Sialkot-Pakista. He said that the time was also ripe for boosting contacts between the businessmen of both sides in South Africa and Pakistan. He said that the SMEs could play a pivotal role in establishing the economic backbone of any country.
Mr Mpendulo Jele added that South Africa was also keen to develop the mutual trade investment between Pakistan and South Africa. He said that there was a lot of potential for enhanced mutual trade cooperation between Pakistan and South Africa especially in the areas like livestock, surgical/hospital equipments, food processing, pharmaceutical industry apart from textile and sporting goods industry.
He also announced to ensure the regular exchange of the mutual trade delegations. He pledged easy access for Sialkot-made sports goods to international trade markets of South African and other African countries through South Africa. PSGMEA Chairman Husnain Iftikhar Cheema presided over the meeting.
Later, Mr Mpendulo Jele visited several leading sports goods manufacturing units in Sialkot. He witnessed the processing and production of sports goods. On the occasion, the HC said that the Sialkot exporters have enough potential to explore and capture the international trade markets of South Africa by exporting their diversified traditional and non-traditional world class export products.
SCCI presidents
elected unopposed
Exporter of soccer balls Khawaja Masud Akhtar was elected unopposed as president the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) while Waqas Akram Awan and Aamir Hameed Bhatti were elected unopposed as SCCI senior vice president and vice president respectively in its annual elections.
Khawaja Masud innovated, produced and exported "Brazuca Football" globally which was officially used in 2014 FIFA Foot Ball World Cup while "Tel Star Foot Ball" was used in 2018 FIFA Foot Ball World Cup Russia.
The government of Pakistan (GoP) has recently awarded him "Sitaara-e-Imtiaz". Outgoing SCCI President Zahid Latif Malik said that new SCCI Cabinet would be sworn in during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to be held at SCCI on September 29.
Earlier, ruling Ittehad Founders Group has swept the annual elections of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) by knocking out the rival Democratic Founders Group which could not win even a single seat.
Ittehad Founders Group won all the five seats of SCCI Executive Committee from Corporate Class as it's candidates Khalid Mehmood, Khaliq Mehmood Mughal, Khurram Azeem Khan, Atif Raza Khan and Muhammad Jalil Aslam were elected members of SCCI Executive Committee from Corporate Class.
Ittehad Founders Group clinched all the five seats of SCCI Executive Committee from Associate Class. Its candidates Malik Muhammad Ashraf, Faizan Akbar, Ayaz Chaudhary, Hafiz Junaid Sheikh and Zaheer Amir, today, were elected members of SCCI Executive Committee from Associate Class by defeating rival Democratic Founders' Group. SCCI's group leader Riazud Din Sheikh has termed it a great victory of Ittehad Founders Group which has swept the annual SCCI polls.