Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday took Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) onboard on all its major initiatives planned for year 2011 and discussed pros and cons of each and every project threadbare.
LCCI President, Shahzad Ali Malik and Senior Vice President, Sheikh Mohammad Arshad gave presentation to FPCCI delegation, led by its Zonal Chairman, Tariq Shafi and Regional Vice President, Chaudhry Amir Atta Bajwa. Speaking on the occasion, Shahzad Ali Malik said that the sole objective of establishing another dry port is to make trade and industry competitive by reducing delivery time and cost. He said that the project is well on its way and would be a fully equipped, state-of-the-art port ensuring cost-effective and efficient logistic solutions to promote economic activities in the region.
He pointed out that said that successful models of private sector-managed dry port already exists in the shape of Faisalabad Dry Port and Sialkot Dry Port. He told the participants that Faisalabad Dry Port has a capacity to handle 33,000 export cargo containers. It can handle as many as 5,500 import consignments per annum, having a value of over rupees 80 billion. Similarly, Sialkot Dry Port can handle up to 29,000 export-cargo containers worth over Rs 46 billion.
LCCI President said that the proposed Sheikhupura Dry Port would be catering to the needs of trade and industry activities in Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala. About 'Pakistan Water Front', designed by LCCI to cope with water shortage in the country, he informed the participants that the chamber is working on an elaborate programme to take all stakeholders onboard. He said he has chalked out a plan to visit all chambers of commerce in the country on the first leg and then take technocrats and politicians into confidence. "It is a major consensus building exercise concerning usage and storage of water in the country," Malik remarked.
Giving briefing on 'Flood Affectees Rehabilitation Project', LCCI Senior Vice President, Sheikh Mohammad Arshad informed FPCCI delegation that LCCI has initiated construction work of 150 houses in the flood-affected areas. He said that over Rs 20 million worth project in district Layyah would be completed in a record time of three months.
He further said that work in Basti Manchar Mohana in District Layyah is in progress while a model village in Shahbazabad would be constructed as soon as government of Punjab completes town-planning procedure for the proposed Model Village. He highlighted that by laying the foundation stone of the mega project, LCCI has become the first chamber of the country to initiate construction in flood-hit areas.
Arshad said that in the first stage of the project, 40 houses would be constructed on emergent basis in Basti Manchar Mohana where devastation due to floods is about 90 percent. Three committees, comprising LCCI office bearers and Executive Committee Members have already been constituted to supervise the project and co-ordinate with the district administration so that the project could be completed in stipulated timeframe, he added.
Expressing his views, FPCCI Zonal Chairman, Tariq Shafi fully appreciated the initiatives of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and assured his full co-operation for the success of the projects. He termed LCCI projects great initiatives of national importance that would rightly address the question of country's economic survival and sustainability. LCCI Vice President Sohail Azhar, former LCCI Presidents Mian Tajammal Hussain, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Mian Anjum Nisar, Mian Muzaffar Ali and former LCCI Vice President Shafqat Saeed Piracha also spoke on the occasion.