President Asif Ali Zardari Friday urged the business community to come forward and suggest out-of-the-box proposals to the government to overcome economic challenges and difficulties faced by the business community of the country. He further added that taking advantage of important platforms such as the FPCCI, could help the government in restoring the confidence of the people in the strength and vitality of the economy.
He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) which called on the president at Aiwan-e-Sadr. FPCCI is the apex body representing trade and industry which is also representative of the private sector of the country. Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Federal Minister for Finance, Revenue & Economic Affairs, Dr. Asim Hussain, Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources, M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Chairman BOI Saleem H. Mandviwala, and Federal Secretaries of the relevant divisions were present during the meeting.
FPCCI was represented by Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, President of FPCCI, Tariq Saeed, Vice President of CACCI, Iftikhar Ali Malik, and Chaudhary Aamar Ata Bajwa. The meeting was in line with the regular interaction of the President with representatives of the business community to seek their cooperation and suggestions in stimulating economic activities in the country and to take necessary steps conducive to further promoting business friendly environment in the state.
The President during the meeting thanked the business community for their support to the Government at a critical time when the economic ills inherited by the present Government, war against militants and the devastations of the natural calamities had multiplied economic woes. He said that the business community of the country was an invaluable asset and an important vehicle for economic progress of Pakistan. He said that this segment can massively contribute to the real socio-economic development of the people of the country.
The President said that a combination of domestic and international factors have, of late, affected the economic activity in the country. However, the government was taking all possible measures to improve the security situation so that the economic activity could be resumed with full vigor. He also highlighted various steps taken by the Government in the economic realm such as the introduction of reforms to put economy on the path to stability, protecting poor and extending social protection umbrella to the poorest of the poor through BISP and other programmes. He said that the government was taking steps to create job opportunities wherever possible, and investing development expenditures for sustaining future growth and poverty alleviation.
He also called upon the FPCCI to play a more active role in articulating problems of business community and safeguarding their interests through continuous engagement with the Government. He said that synergies of public private partnerships and combined efforts promise the desired objectives of ushering a new era of socio-economic prosperity.
The delegation members thanked the President for his regular engagement with the business community and discussed various issues faced by the community in their professional pursuits. They also put forth various suggestions to make economic environment more conducive for the foreign as well as domestic investors. The President assured that the Government was attaching highest priority towards law and order so as to restore confidence of the business community. He also assured the delegation that their suggestions would be duly considered to further facilitate the business community.
