Prime Mininster Yousuf Raza Gilani has constituted a 53-member 'Business Persons Council' to develop a commerce and trade sector strategy. Mininster for Industries and Production Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo told APP on Wednesday that for the first time in history.
The President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) office-bearers of its affiliated chambers, trade bodies including experienced key players of business community, veteran trade leaders, and all stakeholders from across the country have been given representation by the Prime Minister in the newly established 'council', headed by the Finance Minister.
He said that the main objective of the 'council' is that the Prime Minister wants to take private sector into confidence in the policy-making process to make it more viable and feasible in the larger interest of the country. He said that the 'council' would help a lot to establish close liaison and cordial relations for promoting and encouraging public-private sector partnership, besides addressing the economic issues confronting the country in the wake of the global recession.
Wattoo said that the strategy for boosting industrial production and exports would also be worked out in consultation with 'council' members. He said that Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin would preside over its first meeting on Friday, August 21.
'Council' members, among others, include Sultan Ahmad Chawla, President of FPCCI, Muhammad Adrees, Hameed Akhtar Chadds, Muhammad Mansha Churra, Tariq Sayeed, Iftikahr Ali, S M Munir, Muhammad Ali Jogezi, Ghulam Ali, Zubair Ahmad, Misbah Ur Rehman, Anjam Nisar, Sakandar Mustafa, Zubair M Tufail and Muhammad Farooq Dadabhoy.
The Industries Minister said that his ministry would also facilitate all 'council' members to help frame better future policies to strengthen the national economy. He said that the government always attaches great importance to business community, and would solve their genuine problems on priority.