The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry will work with the United Nations to promote investment and enterprise development in earthquake-hit areas under the Community-Based Livelihood Recovery Programme aimed at supporting economic recovery and enhancing community resilience in northern Pakistan.
Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mohammad Ali Mian revealed when he talked to a United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) delegation headed by Investment Promotion Co-ordinator Rehan Sadiq at the chamber's building on Saturday. Vice President Shafqat Saeed Piracha was also present.
Mian said the UN agency's initiative would help create more conducive partnership environment for the public and the private sector and communities to diversify and strengthen the local economy for long-term sustainable recovery of the affected regions. He said his organisation would also sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation to document the initiative.
He said his organisation would hold a seminar and workshops with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) to create awareness among the business community.
Sadiq told Mian that in 2007 the UN organisation had achieved its targets by identifying potential sectors and holding two successful investment promotion conferences in AJK (Muzaffarabad) and the NWFP (Mansehera). He said the UN agency had also provided effective enterprise development training in the both affected areas.
The UN agency has developed close collaboration with the government in AJK that has established Investment Promotion Cell in AJK for facilitation of the potential investors.
The UN agency official said potential sectors for investment in the quake-hit areas were tourism, minerals, woodwork and supply of construction material, agribusiness, handicrafts, forests and hydropower. He said the UN agency would provide full technical support, feasibility reports and market surveys to all those interested in investing in those areas.