Lahore (GNP): H.E. Dr Oumer H. Oba, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, visited the Sundar Industrial Estate on Monday. He went there to explore bilateral cooperation with traders, entrepreneurs and industrialists from Punjab province.
The main discussions took place at a business forum with members of the Sundar Trade and Industry Association (STIA). The ambassador also joined an interactive session with a delegation of executives from the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, led by Ghullam Bassi, CEO of G.T Pharma.
At the forum, Dr Oumer held detailed discussions with STIA members from diverse sectors, including agriculture, agro-processing, pharmaceuticals, surgical goods, nutraceuticals and fertilisers. He briefed them on Ethiopia’s economic transformation and the competitive advantages of doing business there. These include affordable, sustainable and uninterrupted energy supply, a skilled labour force and access to wider African markets.
He also highlighted the incentives available to foreign investors and the ease of doing business, including one-window operations, investment guarantees, profit repatriation and zero-rated taxes for specific sectors.
The ambassador then invited STIA members to join an exploratory visit to Ethiopia. The trip would give them first-hand experience of the country’s facilities for foreign investors, its economic development and its prosperity.
STIA President Muhammad Irfan Qadri underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation between the two nations. He assured the ambassador of his full support in mobilising an STIA delegation to Ethiopia, and he appreciated Ethiopia’s economic development, highlighting business and investment opportunities there for STIA members.
Shahzad Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (PIEDMC), and the STIA Senior Vice President also spoke on the occasion.
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During the interactive session with the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical sectors, the ambassador addressed their queries. He also assured them of the initiatives under way to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment partnership between the two countries.
The visit to the industrial estate included tours of two major industrial units, one in agricultural mechanisation and one in textile spinning. The delegation also visited Ferozsons and BF Bio Sciences, where it explored avenues of bilateral cooperation with their top management.
The ambassador also planted saplings at the premises of the industrial units, highlighting the shared commitment of Ethiopia and Pakistan to climate resilience.
