A Regional roundtable on trade liberalisation in Saarc will be held on May 3-4 in Islamabad, said a press release issued on Sunday. Jointly organised by the Saarc Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the Commonwealth Business Council, UK.
The roundtable would focus on assessing the impact of the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (Safta) in the economic and industrial development in the South Asian region. Safta, a significant agreement among the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (Saarc) members- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka- was signed in January 2004.
Aiming at strengthening economic co-operation in the South Asian region through the elimination of trade barriers, this landmark agreement is to be implemented from July this year. With its implementation, South Asia will become the world's largest free trade area, with more than 1.4 billion people in the region.
Leading business professionals, high profile government officials, lawyers, policymakers, academics, experts and journalists from the South Asian region are expected to be present at this mega event.
SCCI President Dasho Ugen Tsechup Dorji, who is also a renowned business professional from Bhutan, will present the welcome address. It would be his first visit to Pakistan in the capacity of SCCI president.
Sheikh Jamil Mehboob Magoon, SCCI Vice President would also be present at this event where the inaugural address would be given by Jahangir Khan Tareen, Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Pakistan, the statement said.
Various sessions will be chaired by ministers, including Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Minister for Information Technology, Tariq Ikram, Minister of State for the Export Promotion Bureau, Pakistan, Jeyaraj Fernadopulle, Commerce Minister of Sri Lanka and Asif Shah, Secretary Commerce, Pakistan.
One of the sessions of the roundtable will highlight regional market synergies and how Safta may help evolve a horizontal specialisation across the region by optimally exploiting synergies of member-countries.
Tariq Saeed, former president FPCCI will chair this session, while Bashir Ali Muhammad, Chairman Gul Ahmed Group and Tammoy Chakrabarty, Vice President Global Government Industry Group will present keynote addresses.
The challenges and opportunities Safta poses would also be a focal point of the roundtable. Safta is a useful vehicle for increased trade, it also faces many challenges, however, if it is able to overcome these initial teething problems, trade within the region could grow several-fold and it could also lead to enhanced flow of investment, the statement said.
Amir Khusro Chowdhury, Adviser, Ministry of Commerce Bangladesh and Yussuf Harun, a leading businessman from Bangladesh, will be among some of the eminent guests addressing this session of the roundtable.
Among other important speakers, Naseem Saigol, Director, Commonwealth Business Council Board of Management and Chairman, Saigol Group of Companies, Manel De Silva, Consul General of Sri Lanka and Madhukar Shumshere Rana, former finance minister of Nepal will be present at the occasion.-PR