Japan worried over 20pc drop in sales to Pakistan

[LahoreEstate]

Sunday, May 31, 2009
By our correspondent

KARACHI: The Consul General of Japan HE Akinori Wada on Saturday said that imports from Japan to Pakistan have declined by more than 20 per cent since 2005 while the exports from Japan to all over the world have increased by 30 per cent during the same period.

He called for an analytical review of this trend to the disfavour of Pakistan while addressing the SITE Association of Industry (SAI).

“We consider Pakistan a potential market of 170 million people and have increased our investment in Pakistan by $130 million,” Wada sad.

A recent meeting of Pakistani and Japanese businessmen in Tokyo proposed to set up a Japanese Special Zone in Sindh, Wada said.

The Japanese consul general said auto sector remains major investment venue of Japanese joint ventures.

Various Japanese groups including Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, etc have shown interest to set up power plants in Pakistan under the new energy policy.

On the imbalance of trade between Pakistan and Japan, the consul general said that the figures depicted in the record is incorrect and Pakistan has made exports of more than $139.43 million in 2007-08.

Chairman SITE Association of Industry MA Jabbar said that the Japanese products are much superior in quality as compared similar products from China and Korea.

“The industrialists would purchase Japanese products with full confidence. Now the scenario has changed perhaps due to slackness on the part of diplomatic missions of Japan to create awareness for the premium price to be paid for Japanese goods by consumers in proportion to the quality of the life of Japan origin product against other origins.

He also gave his views shared by other industrialists that Japanese Government and the Diplomatic Mission does not seem to be active in relation of EU and USA Governments and their Diplomatic Missions to protect their market in Pakistan. They persuade Government of Pakistan to crackdown the infringers on intellectual property rights for eliminating the counterfeit and fake products sold by imitation.

MA Jabbar added that Japan appears to be least interested in the on going development of energy sector, as the US is having biggest share and EU is showing interest too. He called these policy issues of non involvement of Japanese Government through import export banking facilities. He said that we do acknowledge the ODA assistance of $10 billion from Japan during the decades and more.

Consul General responding to the questions said that Japan considers Pakistan an important country which can be reflected by the holding of meeting of donors recently in Japan in which Japan also pledged US$1 billion. Further the importance given by Japan to Pakistan is manifested by extensive investments by private sector in Pakistan. He said that the trade between both countries is 3.6 times more from Japan as of last year and we wish Pakistan to effort increase of exports.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=180388