British diplomat assures traders of multi-pronged support

HYDERABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Apr, 2026) The Senior Economic Advisor of British High Commission Islamabad, Louie Dane, on Thursday said the United Kingdom is supporting Pakistan’s economic growth and success by extending cooperation in various sectors.

Addressing traders and industrialists at Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI) here, the diplomat apprised that his two day visit to the city is also under the same initiative.

He satated that he aimed to get direct feedback from the local business community to determine which sectors required further investment, training, technology and policy support. The Pakistan-UK Trade Dialogue was established last year with the objective to reduce barriers to trade and encourage bilateral business opportunities, he added.

He stated that the United Kingdom (UK) was also supporting Pakistan at the policy level, which included improving the capacity of Federal and provincial institutions, facilitating the business environment, and measures to facilitate trade.

Dane said the Jobs and Economic Transformation Programme Pakistan (JETPAK) was a comprehensive prolonged programme which was being rolled out in Pakistan in a phases. He added that the initiative was being backed by the UK’s Development Office and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

"The main objective of this programme is to strengthen the private sector and promote sustainable economic growth; create new employment opportunities and increase exports, especially with a focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)," he elaborated.

The Economic Advisor assured that the recommendations given by the HCSTSI would be incorporated and the programme would be taken forward in collaboration with the chamber in Hyderabad.

Earlier, in his address, the chamber's President, Saleem Memon, welcomed the esteemed delegation.

He said the chamber was an effective representative body of the business community of Hyderabad which was in touch with the government institutions to resolve important issues like taxes, energy crisis, infrastructure and trade barriers.

He termed JETPAK as a timely and important initiative and expressed hope that the program would play a significant role in promoting small and medium enterprises. He noted that in the context of Pakistan’s large youth population, such initiatives were key to strengthening the economy.

Memon emphasized that Hyderabad had immense potential in textiles, bangles industry, handicrafts, agri-trade and small industries, which could access international markets with proper facilities and support. Seth Amin Khatri, Ahmed Idrees Chohan, Akram Ansari, Saleemuddin Qureshi, Farooq Shaikhani, Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam and other office bearers and members of HCSTSI also interacted with the delegation.