KARACHI: While underscoring the need to organise road shows in America, Deputy Spea­ker of New York State Assembly Phil Ramos has said that familiarity about what is available in Pakistan amongst the US citizens is very low as there is no platform for this purpose.

“You’ll find such platforms showcasing products Made in China and India but I have yet to see a similar platform in English carrying all the details of products and services being produced in Pakistan which is needed to promote businesses by bringing business communities of both countries closer for mutual benefits,” he said during a visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wedn­esday along with the members of American Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) New York.

“We are here with a very unique mutually beneficial concept focused on ‘perception and confidence’ which must be present so that businesses are able to prosper as living in isolation is neither good for businesses nor for countries,” he said.

According to KCCI’s press rele­ase, he also stressed the need for signing memoranda of understanding in different are­as including economic deve­l­o­pment, health and businesses.

FPCCI chief demands enhanced access to US market

“We can also have agreements with your learning institutions for accreditation of your nurses so that they could easily immigrate to the United States as we have a deficit of nurses, pharmacists, tech personnel who are being produced by Pakistan”, he said, adding that Pakistan has a lot of potential to send pharmaceutical products to America but these products and many others need to be effectively exposed.

Recognising Karachi as New York of Pakistan, he said that just like Karachi city, New York also supports other states and fills the deficits of all other areas but receives less than other states, which matches New York with Karachi.

Mr Ramos said the idea was to come to Karachi to show the model of what New York State can do with Karachi and also share the idea of creating sister states, besides establishing a task force between our staff and KCCI to jointly find areas of mutual agreements.

He asked the KCCI to give nominations for the proposed taskforce who will be holding regular conversations to come up with something that will help businesses and states prosper, besides helping the US in dealing with needs.

“If we are not talking to each other, not helping each other, not dealing with each other and not exposing products and possibilities, we go nowhere. I believe that positive change will happen as a result of our visit to Pakistan”, he hoped.

President KCCI Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh said in a significant development, the State Legis­lature of Georgia passed a landmark resolution recently to establish a Sister State-Province between Georgia and Sindh which was a historic step for promoting multifaceted sister-state ties.

During a visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Mr Ramos announced several proposed measures aimed at formalising cooperation between APPAC and his assembly with FPCCI.

He suggested that two high-powered committees should be formed with FPCCI to explore the opportunities.

FPCCI President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh stressed that Pakistan deserves enhanced access to the US market for having suffered badly from the war on terror for a long-drawn-out period, last year’s floods and bearing the brunt of climate change.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023