Capacity building of private sector: FPCCI body to seek assistance from USAID

Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry's (FPCCI's) standing committee on R&D and WTO cell would seek assistance from USAID on capacity building of private sector. This was decided at the first meeting of the recently established R&D and WTO cell at FPCCI under the chairmanship of Engr M A Jabbar.
It was suggested that R&D department should be involved in issues such as the study of trade policy, government's budget and monetary policy. It should have working knowledge on latest developments on these matters. A spokesman of Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) told Business Recorder here on Thursday that Engr. Jabbar has now nothing to do with PBF as he has switched over to Pakistan Business Panel headed by Tariq Sayeed.
It was suggested at the meeting that R&D department should liaise with: Geneva mission regarding WTO and non-agricultural market access (NAMA), Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan (IPO), International Trade Centre (ITC), Social Policy Development Centre (SPDC), Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SPDI), the WTO cell at the Ministry of Industries and Production, WTO cells of TDAP, PSQCA and Ministry of Commerce, etc.
Talking to Business Recorder Engr Jabbar said that knowledge based confrontation with the public sector is the key to the success, if businessman need to sale ides and opinion for purchase by the decision making public sector. FPCCI, the apex trade body needs to advance the arguments for the need of good economic management based on consistency and conversation with the stake holders, he said.
He emphasised on making inroads in textile and clothing sectors, Pakistan being the 4th largest cotton producing country has less than 2 percent in the total global trade of textile and clothing, which comes to over half a trillion US dollars. He said on different issues which are required to be coherent for conducting our trade in the region and globally we need to install our regulatory systems to induce investment and growth.
On the growth side, Pakistan has to carefully consider incentives for the employment linked growth so that the democratic process and the material substance of peace in society is maintained, which is always disturbed due to present unemployment claims opf over five million youth running for employments.
Jabbar said our researches will be based on inviting attention of the government towards corrections for productive utilisation of public sector employment in decision making which help the economy move forward in harmony and not amongst conflicts and contradictions.