FPCCI elections: Sheikh says various chambers, trade bodies have announced support for BMP

LAHORE: A large number of chambers of various cities, trade groups and industrial associations from across the country have so far announced their support for the Businessmen Panel (BMP) for the upcoming FPCCI elections.

The presidential candidate of Businessmen Panel for FPCCI elections Muhammad Ali Sheikh observed that the leadership has visited various cities of all provinces across the country and winning their full support for all candidates of the Businessmen Panel.

Muhammad Ali Sheikh expressed his full confidence of his group’s victory, as they have received overwhelming support from all chambers and other trade bodies from across the country.

The BMP chairman and ex-president of FPCCI Mian Anjum Nisar said the Businessmen Panel has nominated Ali Sheikh to contest presidential slot because he is a well-experienced business leader, rendering excellent services for the promotion of trade and industries on various business platforms, including GCCI as its senior vice president, which is one of the major chambers of the country.

He declared the names of other candidates, who are contesting the elections of the apex trade body on platform of the BMP.

Muhammad Ali Sheikh observed that his group, for the last three years of victory, has been very actively engaged with the federal as well as the provincial governments in formulation of the policies on trade and industry including the annual budgets making.

Sheikh, highlighting the BMP’s performance in the year 2023, said the Chairman Mian Anjum Nisar along with his team of officer-bearers and FPCCI president had been playing their best possible role from the platform of this apex trade body of the country for the resolution of the issues facing trade and industry, and for getting maximum incentives and facilities for them to boost industrial growth and exports.

Ali Sheikh stated that despite difficult situation during the last two years, the industry sustained and the exports witnessed significant increase. This could be possible due to continued efforts and pursuance by BMP leadership that the government, during previous years, came up with the bailout financial packages for the industry and businesses to absorb the shocks of pandemic.

Beside these packages, he added, BMP struggled to get the power tariff for the industry rationalized, the key policy rate was reduced though the SBP has again increasing it but the Businessmen Panel would continue to pursue the central bank to relax it. He said that huge financial package for the housing and construction sector was prominent among the government relief lobbied by the BMP leadership in last couple of years, he said.

Muhammad Ali resolved that after his election as president of FPCCI, he would make the best and the most effective use of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry for promoting trade and industry, and local and foreign investment. Strongly believing in team work, he would ensure maximum participation of the business leaders representing different chambers and associations of the country for economic prosperity and development of the country, along with welfare of the business community.

The candidate for president from BMP was fully confident and expressed that the BMP would sweep the upcoming Federation’s election with record highest number of votes which would be the history in federation adding that all genuine and sincere voters had assured Mian Anjum Nisar and other BMP leaders of extending their full support to the BMP penal.

Mian Anjum Nisar said that the BMP would continue to push the government to initiate long-term economic planning for the betterment of business community of Pakistan and assured that the business community has ability to change the fate of Pakistan and transform it into a prosperous country.

On the occasion, the BMP leaders said that the country was passing through critical times and a true business leadership at every tier could help pull the country out of these economic issues. They said that the government would be asked to rationalize the energy prices in the larger interests of the manufacturing sector and the trading community. They said that they are fully satisfied with the performance of the BMP.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023