The newly-elected President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Major Mansoor Ahmed (Retd) has said that special attention would be focused on enhancing export volume for cementing the national economy through export. In an interview with Business Recorder Friday he said that strengthening of national economy had become more imperative at this juncture and business community was ready to play its vibrant role with missionary zeal.
In order to create awareness among the local business community about the fast changing business trends and modern technology we are actively considering arranging foreign tours for business with the active co-operation of Commerce Ministry and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) he said. Mansoor said the basic concept of this programme was to enable the business community of Sialkot to reduce production cost and further improve the quality for products cope with the international markets easily. Besides trade delegations would also be arranged in which maximum participation of local SMEs would be ensured while seminars and workshops would also be arranged for creating awareness among the SMEs about the advancement of international markets he said.
The SCCI President further stated that all resources and channels would be mobilised for removing bottlenecks hindering the exports while special attention would also be focused on the face-lifting of Sialkot on top priority basis. Mansoor said that strenuous efforts would also be made for obtaining due share of Sialkot from Export Development Fund (EDF) for the promotion of industrial sector of the area.
Mansoor was of the opinion that local Business community was confronting with certain problems like load shedding, heavy taxes and non clearance of refund claims adding that unnecessary delay in clearance of pending refund claims was hitting exports which is irreparable loss not only to the national economy but also the export adding that despite of these problems and difficulties we are bound to enhance the export volume.
It is very unfortunate that Sialkot which is hub of cottage industry and export-oriented city but being deprived from special incentives as compare to other export cities of the country and efforts would be made for the approval special package in this regard he said. He said that highly cordial relations would be developed with foreign mission functioning in Pakistan for obtaining visa for the SCCI members while strong relations would also be strengthened with Pakistani High Commissions abroad for publicity of Pakistani products and to present the soft image of Pakistan.