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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 6 - 12 May 1999 Issue No. 428
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Special Focus Travel Living Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Japanese offer export expertise
by Shaimaa LabibJapanese economic experts and officials offered detailed advice to Egyptian businessmen on how to promote Egyptian exports to their country and worldwide at a seminar last week organised by the Egyptian Centre for Economic Studies (ECES). Japan has wide experience in promoting its own and other Asian exports to many countries. The Japanese pointed out that Egyptian businessmen are not taking advantage of the facilities at the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) branch in Cairo which can help them to boost their export sales and increase their investments in Japan.
Mervat El-Tallawi, Egyptian minister of social affairs and former ambassador to Japan, told participants that bilateral trade between Egypt and Japan can be further strengthened by encouraging an increase of Japanese investments in Egypt.
"Japan has its own ethics and traditions in doing business which is most suitable to us. Furthermore, it would be better to have more than one way of doing business instead of solely depending on the American or European way of doing business," El-Tallawi said.
According to Noboru Hatakeyama, chairman and chief executive officer of JETRO, President Hosni Mubarak's recent visit to Japan gave a strong push to promoting bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
JETRO was established by the Japanese government in 1958 to implement Japan's foreign trade policy of promoting Japanese exports as well as imports from other countries.
Hatakeyama emphasised that JETRO can play an essential role in promoting Egyptian exports to Japan, as it did in helping to boost Asian exports to other countries.
"We, in JETRO, are responsible for sending Japanese economic experts to developing countries to conduct the needed feasibility studies with the objective of promoting exports. JETRO also is involved in conducting technical studies to enhance productivity in these countries and in holding trade exhibitions to enable importers from Japan and exporters from these countries to get together and discuss possible means of trade cooperation."
Hatakeyama added that JETRO also conducts a programme called 'Export to Japan Study Programme' through which foreign businessmen are invited to Japan to find potential customers to promote Japan's imports from other countries. However, he complained of the weak participation of Egyptian businessmen in the programme and also their reluctance to use the facilities offered by JETRO to increase their investments in Japan.
"More than 1,500 foreign businessmen attended the last JETRO programme. However, only nine Egyptian businessmen participated. Moreover, 1,700 foreign businessmen have used JETRO's business support centres all over the world, but only 21 Egyptian businessmen have used them, even though they could access these services through the JETRO office located in Cairo," Hatakeyama said.
The JETRO official confirmed that Egypt has the potential to increase its exports of food and the products of feeder industries, both of which are also attractive areas for investment by foreign businessmen.
Hatakeyama added that there is a lesson to be learned from the Asian crisis which was partly caused by linking the Asian currencies to the dollar. "Egypt has to be cautious in linking its currency to other currencies. It is advisable that Egypt link its currency to a package of currencies to minimise the risk of depending on the dollar currency only."
