ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: The Gambian government has evinced interest in importing pharmaceutical products from Pakistan and setting up a pharma plant in Banjul with the help of Pakistani investors.

These views were expressed by visiting Gambian Foreign Minister Babucarr Bless Jagne who called on the federal secretary for industries and production, Dr Akram Sheikh, here on Thursday.

The secretary apprised the six-member Gambian delegation about the quality products of engineering, automobile, electrical goods, quality goods at cheaper rates to Gambian businessmen, in areas of sugar, cement and flour mill plants, buses of all types and tractors.

He said the Pakistani government was also willing to offer 80 per cent credit facility with 20 to 25 per cent down payment in these sectors.

Akram Sheikh said as Gambia was a gateway to East African countries, the Pakistani government would give serious thought of installing pharmaceutical and other engineering plants through joint ventures in Gambia.

Mr Jagne said the World Bank had allocated half a million US dollars line of credit to his government for procurement of drugs for which he and Health Minister Dr Yankuba Kassama were visiting Pakistan to discuss the modalities for procurement.

He said Gambia, being the largest importer of rice in West Africa, was interested in importing 150,000 tonnes of 100 per cent Basmati broken rice from Pakistan.

He further said a delegation from Gambian Public Transport Corporation would soon visit Pakistan to finalize procurement of buses. Mr Jagne said the Gambian president would be visiting Pakistan on 23 March, 2002, alongwith a large business delegation to explore the possibilities of further trade ties.

He expressed his gratitude to Minister for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, who was presently visiting Bangladesh for instructing his ministry to mature this meeting.