Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Arif Ehsan Malik Thursday urged the business community to close ranks on a common platform to strengthen its collective voice, protect traders’ interests and ensure that their contribution to economic growth was fully recognized while Faisalabad Chamber would fully pursue their issues at every relevant forum.
FCCI vows united push to resolve traders’ issues, strengthen business community
FAISALABAD, Oct 08 (APP): Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) President Arif Ehsan Malik Thursday urged the business community to close ranks on a common platform to strengthen its collective voice, protect traders’ interests and ensure that their contribution to economic growth was fully recognized while Faisalabad Chamber would fully pursue their issues at every relevant forum.
He made these remarks while addressing a delegation of traders led by Amin Butt, chairman of Anjuman Tajiran (Amin Butt Group), which visited the chamber to congratulate the newly elected office-bearers.
Arif Ehsan Malik said that the business community was playing a vital role in the national economy and the chamber would continue its efforts to address the problems of traders and industrialists, irrespective of the size of their businesses.
Highlighting the importance of traders in the economic chain, Arif Ehsan Malik said that all products manufactured in industrial units ultimately reached consumers through traders, making their contribution indispensable to the economy.
He said that the real “shutter power” rested with traders while their contribution to the national GDP was also significant. Therefore, the traders and industrialists should unite on FCCI platform to pursue their collective interests, he added.
The FCCI President said that there would be no justification for any government department or institution to ignore genuine collective issues of the business community if traders and industrialists presented them with a united voice.
Referring to ongoing beautification work in the city, he said that traders in the inner city were facing difficulties in customer access because of development activities. The chamber would work in consultation with traders to address these problems particularly parking and other issues affecting commercial activity, he added.
Arif Ehsan Malik also referred to SRO 1109, saying that although its implementation had been temporarily suspended, yet the issue could resurface at any time. “FCCI would therefore continue efforts for a permanent resolution so that traders could have long-term relief”, he added.
He announced that FCCI Senior Vice President Mian Muhammad Saeed had been designated as the chamber’s focal person for Associate Class and invited Anjuman Tajiran to nominate its own focal person.
The two representatives would coordinate efforts to pursue traders’ issues and strengthen cooperation between the chamber and the traders’ organization, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Head of National Group Mian Muhammad Adrees said that FCCI was an effective platform for resolving the problems of business community and all stakeholders should jointly use it to pursue their legitimate demands.
He said that several facilitation desks of different government institutions including police, passport authorities, National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA), Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) had already been established at FCCI to facilitate the business community. More such desks would be established at FCCI in near future to provide traders and businessmen greater access to government services, he added.
Mian Muhammad Adrees stressed that there should be no distinction between small and large traders, saying that every member of the business community deserved respect and due representation.
He acknowledged that different trade organizations could have differences on various issues. However, they were united on FCCI platform in the greater interest of business community, he added.
He urged the traders who were not yet members of the chamber to join it, saying that a larger membership would further enhance collective strength and bargaining position of the business community.
Amin Butt congratulated FCCI President Arif Ehsan Malik and Senior Vice President Mian Muhammad Saeed on their election and assured them of his organization’s full cooperation. He said that he and his colleagues were always ready to serve the traders’ community and requested that his organization should also be given representation in the chamber’s future elections.
