KARACHI: President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday emphasised the need for promotion of 'brand of Pakistan' to boost the country's economy and stressed for working tirelessly and honestly for achieving this goal.
"It will take some time but we ought to do it by using fair business practices," the president stated while addressing the National Employers Meeting on Decent Work and Sustainable Development and 8th Employers of the Year Award 2020, organized by Employers Federation of Pakistan (EPF).
Dr Alvi elaborating on the responsibilities of the employers said undoubtedly, earning profit is the responsibility of an employer, however the welfare of their employees rests upon their shoulders, otherwise it would be only profit based industry.
He further said catering the needs of their clients is another responsibility of the employer for which 'brand of Pakistan' is a key requirement and believed it would not be achieved if bad practices continued.
President also reminded the business community that welfare of the society is another responsibility by adhering to the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
He opined that despite being the sixth largest country in terms of populations, Pakistan lags behind in production and exports by not focusing on investment in human resource sector.
He appreciated the present government by consulting with the stakeholders of the business and commerce and said it is the govt's duty to hold consultation with the stakeholders. He also claimed that improvement have been brought in many areas of economy. He also stressed that input of EPF should come in policy formulation.
Dr Alvi also called upon the need for export oriented growth to bring the dollars in the country as well as work for 'ease of doing business' to facilitate the commerce sector.
He said the government has looked into the issues to promote the investment in the last two to three years, adding that it is imperative to utilize the large youth population of the country.
President Avli termed women an important pillar of economy and urged the employers to encourage the women's participation in economic activities.
International Labour Organization (ILO) director country office for Pakistan Ingrid Christensen in her speech said Government of Pakistan along with employers and workers' organizations are key constituents of ILO and said sustainable enterprises and the private sector are important stakeholders in decent work in rural economies, job creations for youth and vulnerable groups, compliance with international labour standards and social protection floors.
She recognized the key role of enterprises - not only in contributing to country's economy but also in innovation, creativity, development of skills and human resources. She felt that we are moving closer to the destination of decent work, however urged that we need to do more in this regard.
EPF president Ismail Suttar speaking on the occasion said Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and EPF are two apex bodies of trade and industry and said there was vacuum between two which has been removed now through mutual coordination.
EPF vice chairman Zaki Ahmed Khan highlighted the criteria for selection of companies for winning the awards. Later, President Dr Arif Alvi distributed the awards among the winning employers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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