March 18, 2003	Tuesday	Muharram 14, 1424

LAHORE, March 17: Pakistani exporters have been urged to launch an aggressive marketing effort like China and India to create a demand for their products in Kenya.

Pakistan’s high commissioner in Nairobi, Hameed Asghar Kidwai, told the business here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Monday that with a population of 400 million people, Kenya could serve for them as the gateway to East Africa.

He said the exporters should work hard to make a place for their products in Kenya as they could send there scores of items ranging from textile, leather, pharmaceuticals, etc.

He agreed that the government should provide freight subsidy to the exporters in order to enable them to compete with their competitors from the other countries.

He said Pakistan’s export to Kenya had declined by 53 per cent, while its imports have grown by 67 per cent. He also called upon the businessmen to set up joint ventures with their counterparts in Kenya to take full advantage of business opportunities there.