Businessmen Association discusses facilitating trade with Palestine’s ambassador to Canada
The Palestinian Businessmen Association (PBA) discussed with Palestine’s Ambassador to Canada, Mona Abuamara, mechanisms for opening the Canadian markets for Palestinian products and providing businessmen with official and legal assistance in obtaining direct commercial agencies for Canadian products and industries, in addition to preventing double taxation, signing customs exemption agreements, and supporting the launch of a Palestinian Canadian business council as soon as possible, according to a PBA press statement.
Muhammad al-Amour, head of the PBA, expressed hope in the meeting held at the PBA headquarters in al-Bireh (Ramallah), that the Palestinian business community will find an appropriate investment environment in Canada with a goal to transform the Palestinian economy from a consumer market into a productive one that helps the resilience of the Palestinian people.
“We want to change the typical image of the Palestinian economy to an investment opportunity despite all conditions, especially since investment in Palestine is productive, fruitful and profitable, contrary to what is rumored about its risks,” he said. “We look forward to having a real and serious Palestinian-Canadian business council through which we can achieve our goals in increasing trade exchange leading to the establishment of joint production and services projects, given Palestine’s distinction in investment opportunities for many diverse projects with feasible economic and financial returns.”
Ambassador Abuamara expressed willingness to provide everything possible to help the Palestinian products export to the Canadian markets, expressing hope to see a trade agreement reached between Palestine and Canada, and for businessmen to obtain direct commercial agencies to become separate from Israel despite the difficulty of doing that due to Canada’s political and economic ties with Israel.
“We look forward to having an independent body and an independent agreement to help businessmen and inject money to support the Palestinian economy that would enhance our steadfastness and the Palestinian narrative,” said Abuamara. “Therefore, we must emphasize the importance of trade with Canada in isolation from the latter’s ties and positions with the occupying state (Israel), and we look forward and hope to amend the Israeli-Canadian agreement by adding provisions related to the prohibition as per international law of cooperation with settlement products.”
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency