President of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI), Usman Bilour has underscored the need for concentrating on research and development (R&D) mechanism both in industrial and trade sectors to develop a viable solution that will not only support local businessmen, but also benefit the whole country through achieving the goal of enhanced commerce.
Talking to APP on Tuesday, the president of KPCCI said in the prevailing circumstances when the production cost was increasing exorbitantly due to constant increase in utility charges and taxes, setting up of new industrial units could not prove profitable in enhancing country's trade.
"The solution to commerce related problems being faced by the country lies in improving trade volume by value addition of products through capacity building of businessmen," he observed.
Realising importance of Research and Development mechanism in enhancing commercial activities in the province, KPCCI is concentrating on provision of facilities in this regard to traders, he added. KPCCI is establishing a state-of-the-art R&D cell within the premises of chamber, which will provide all facilities to businessmen and women of the province to explore and collect information on business of their choice.
Similarly, he continued, KPCCI is the only chamber in country, which conducted an intensive research study on trade potential with Afghanistan and Central Aisan Republics (CARs). "We have a great potential of trade by restoring old commercial links with Central Asian Countries (CARs) via Afghanistan through which the country cannot only earn billions of dollars but also fight militancy by creating new job opportunities for the unemployed educated youth,".
The findings of the research study, in shape of a book, is now available and provided to all the concerned government and private departments besides colleges and universities. Briefing about the performance of present cabinet of KPCCI, Bilour said the biggest achievement is payment of Rs 170 million to traders of Peshawar as compensation to the damages caused by bomb blasts. We succeeded in convincing the provincial government to pay the compensation amount to the affected traders.
The incumbent office bearers also succeeded in implementation of Prime Minister's package announced for the relief of terrorism affected traders of Khyber Pakhutnkhwa.