LAHORE, Sep 14 (APP):Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) will make joint efforts to pursue business community’s issues with respective governments in a effective manner. KCCI President Muhammad Rehan Hanif along with a delegation visited the Lahore Chamber here Monday. LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol welcomed the delegation, while LCCI Vice President Khurram Lodhi, former Karachi Chamber Presidents Abdullah Zaki …
Lahore, Karachi Chambers to jointly pursue business community’s issues with govt
LAHORE, Sep 14 (APP):Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) will make joint efforts to pursue business community’s issues with respective governments in a effective manner.
KCCI President Muhammad Rehan Hanif along with a delegation visited the Lahore Chamber here Monday.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol welcomed the delegation, while LCCI Vice President Khurram Lodhi, former Karachi Chamber Presidents Abdullah Zaki and Iftikhar Vohra, former Vice President KCCI Faisal Khalil, and LCCI Executive Committee members Rana Shouban Akhtar, Mohsin Bashir and Irfan Qureshi were also present.
Welcoming Muhammad Rehan Hanif, LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol said that Karachi and Lahore are two major business centers of Pakistan, and stronger coordination and cooperation between the two chambers can play an important role in the country’s economic development. He said, Lahore and Karachi Chambers should jointly raise their voice for resolving business community issues, improving ease of doing business, promoting investment and increasing exports.
Saigol said that Pakistan is passing through an important economic phase and simply identifying problems is not enough. Practical and workable solutions must be presented to the government. He said that the government, industry, trade, investors, banking sector and chambers of commerce need to move forward with a common economic vision.
Karachi Chamber President Muhammad Rehan Hanif said, All Pakistan Chambers Conference organized by the Lahore Chamber helped improve coordination among chambers across the country and provided an opportunity to raise common business issues collectively.
Rehan Hanif said that Lahore and Karachi chambers should work together to raise the common issues of the business community before the government. He said that when chambers continuously and jointly raise an issue, it gets the government’s attention and helps create a path towards its solution.
He said that on the demand of the Karachi Chamber, regular meetings of the Federal Board of Revenue Chairman and relevant Board members have started in Karachi. This has provided relief to the business community from having to make repeated visits to Islamabad. He added that the establishment of a PRAL office in Karachi has also made it easier to resolve business-related issues.
Saigol said that chambers of commerce play an important role as a link between the business community and the government. Therefore, the views of the business community should be given importance while making economic policies.
He said that Karachi is an important economic and trade center of Pakistan, while Lahore and Punjab have a strong position in industrial, agricultural and commercial activities. Therefore, effective cooperation between the two chambers will benefit the entire business community.
The LCCI President said that long-term economic stability can only be achieved through business-friendly, investment-friendly, industry-friendly and export-oriented policies. He said that coordination between the Lahore Chamber and Karachi Chamber would be further strengthened, both chambers would benefit from each other’s experience, and wherever possible, joint recommendations on business issues would be presented to the government.
Karachi Chamber President Muhammad Rehan Hanif said that several important issues still need to be resolved and all chambers, including those in Lahore and Karachi, need to raise a joint voice on these matters. He mentioned issues including the FTR regime, digital invoices and stickers on imported goods, and said that such measures should take into account ground realities and the practical requirements of businesses.
Rehan Hanif stressed the need to reduce the cost of doing business and said that high electricity and gas prices are a major challenge for industry and exports. He said that without reducing energy prices, it would be difficult to improve the competitiveness of Pakistani products in international markets. He also called for a review of IPP agreements and electricity prices and stressed the need for reforms in the energy sector.
He said that Pakistan needs to focus not only on traditional sectors but also on new products and sectors to increase exports. There is a need to increase exports of value-added products, agricultural products, dairy, roses and other products made from local resources so that the country’s export base can be diversified.
The Karachi Chamber President also stressed the need to develop a skilled workforce. He said that young people can be trained in nursing, technical and other fields and sent to the international market. This would create more employment opportunities and also increase remittances.
Muhammad Rehan Hanif also urged the business community to give preference to the use of locally made products so that imports can be reduced and local industry can be promoted. He said that along with the government, the business community also has to play its role in improving the country’s economy.
