PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has demanded of the government to allow import of liquefied petroleum gas and petroleum products from Turkmenistan to control the growing price of these commodities and facilitate the consumers.

According to a statement issued here on Tuesday, the demand was made by SCCI president Sherbaz Bilour following a meeting with Turkmenistan Ambassador to Pakistan Atadjan Movlamvo. SCCI senior vice president Manzoor Elahi, vice president Junaid Altaf and former president Faiz Mohammad Faizi were also present in the meeting.

The SCCI chief said that Turkmenistan was rich in petroleum products and it was great opportunity for Pakistan to import those commodities from it at cheap price within minimum time span. Import of petroleum products would enable the country to meet the requirements and control price hike, he added.

He said that demand for liquefied petroleum gas and diesel was growing in the country. He urged Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) to allow export of diesel from Turkmenistan.

Mr Bilour stressed the need for strengthening trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan and other central Asian states. He said that Turkmenistan should make efforts to capture Pakistan market as it could enhance export of its products through Gwadar and Karachi ports.

The SCCI chief said that Turkmenistan could easily export raw material to manufacturing units in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via Afghanistan and could import match and other important products easily.

He invited the companies of Turkmenistan to make investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as it had great potential of hydel power generation, mine, mineral, marble, match, handicraft and other sectors.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to make joint efforts to remove obstacles to bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries besides taking benefits from each other’s experience by exchange of trade delegations, establishment of business to business contacts and launch of joint ventures and projects.

The ambassador of Turkmenistan agreed with the proposals of SCCI and said his country was keen to strengthen trade and economic relations with Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2020