Over a hundred Conveners and Co-Conveners of the Standing Committees of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) have agreed that a consensus Nation Economic Agenda 2010-30 was a prerequisite to ensure continuity in economic policies and make them independent of the political force running the government so that the people at large do not suffer as a result of change of public office.
They attended a meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce that was chaired by the LCCI President Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry. Addressing the meeting, the LCCI chief said the Lahore Chamber in consultation with all the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, other chambers in the country and trade bodies would prepare a shadow budget. The sole objective of the exercise would be to give the government a document that would help put economy back on rails.
The LCCI President said that for the Budget 2010-11 proposals were being compiled with the help of all the Standing Committees that would be forwarded to the government soon as March 5 is the last of submission of budget proposals to the LCCI. About the Amnesty Scheme announced for the abandoned LCCI members, Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry said that March 31st 2010 has been fixed last date so as enable all the Conveners and Co-Conveners could put in their wholehearted efforts to get enlisted more and more abandoned members with the LCCI.
While taking onboard the participants of the meeting on the aims and objectives of Pakistan Water Front working under the banner of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the LCCI President said that it was formed to expose the real face of India that was trying to push Pakistan on the brink of mass starvation, as it had already initiated the process to turn Pakistan into desert by cutting water availability. He said that it was not Pakistan alone against which the Indian government was hatching water conspiracies but it was doing same with China, Bangladesh and Nepal. He said that Pakistan Water Front was working well under the convenership of former LCCI Vice President Shahzad Ali Malik.
About the National Economic Agenda 2010-30, the LCCI President said that it was aimed at identification of ways and means to fully utilise the resource base of Pakistan's economy for ensuring basic amenities to all and also maximising returns on investment. The natural resource base includes agriculture, livestock and poultry, mining, seaport and tourism. The improved environment of doing business includes managing balance of trade, getting rid of mounting inflation, creating interest free economy, introducing principal based basis for doing business, removing all forms of indirect taxation, protection of foreign and local investment.
On agriculture, he said, suggestion would be incorporated to manage water crisis at national and international level, brining more area under cultivation, development of seed, pesticides, access and provision fertilisers, types of crops to be harvested, means of harvest/machinery, managing higher yield.
Suggestions would also be incorporated in the National Economic Agenda 2010-30 to facilitate rules of doing business in the country, he said. The LCCI former Presidents Bashir A Baksh, Mian Shafqat Ali and former Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh also spoke on the occasion.