Nayrouz News Agency : Members of the Board of Directors of Amman Chamber of Commerce (ACC) discussed with Pakistani Ambassador to Jordan, Muhammad Ajmal Iqbal, ways to enhance joint economic relations, exchange trade missions and hold joint exhibitions.
According to an ACC statement on Tuesday, the chamber's First Deputy Chairman, Nabil Khatib, said Jordanian-Pakistani relations in the economic field are "below level of ambitions," which requires strengthening contact among the two countries' various concerned authorities to develop cooperation opportunities for business owners, especially in "promising" sectors.
Jordan, Khatib noted, has an "attractive and safe" investment climate, adding that the Kingdom has endorsed a new investment environment law that grants multiple priviliges and incentives to investors, in addition to the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV).
Khatib stated that the Kingdom's trade and service sector is "keen" to increase and enhance its imports of Pakistani products, especially meat, fish, rice, textile materials and garments.
He added that the sector is also keen to export the Kingdom’s products of fertilizer, phosphate, potash, olive oil, Jordanian dates, Dead Sea salts and other products to Pakistan.
Additionally, he noted tourism sector could be the key area that contributes to advancing joint economic cooperation relations, indicating that tourism is a gateway to commercial activities, which requires operating a direct flight route.
The opportunity exists to increase trade exchanges, in light of the presence of maritime shipping routes, which lead to facilitating goods transportation operations at "affordable" financial costs, he pointed out.
Meanwhile, the envoy said the bilateral relations are witnessing "continuous" development, pointing out that there are multiple areas and opportunities to increase joint trade volume and support economic relations, especially sectors of construction, foodstuffs, primarily rice, sugar, and table salt, and manufacturing of fabrics, textiles, furniture, and information and communications technology.
Iqbal noted the two countries' trade exchanges are still "modest," compared to their available capabilities, which requires action to further promote their products.
Pointing to the embassy's cooperation areas with ACC, he said this effort includes holding a Jordanian trade exhibition in Pakistan and organizing a fair for Pakistani products in Jordan for various commercial sectors, as well as receiving mutual trade delegations, pointing to the necessity of joint tourism collaboration.