I feel great pleasure in writing this foreword for the Souvenir prepared on the occasion of the 40th Export Awards ceremony for 2015-16 being organised by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). These Awards are a prestigious annual event, which have been held by FPCCI every year since 1976. Over the year's, they have gained both national and international significance, and are today recognized as a symbol of quality and a seal of premium standard.
Being an apex trade body of Pakistan, FPCCI always makes vigorous efforts to promote exports, and the giving Awards represent only one facet of the complex role played by FPCCI in furthering the trade and industry's interest of the country. In the wake of numerous crisis being confronted by our country, strong exports are the need of the hour. The preceding fiscal year was not an opportune one for Pakistan in general, and the business community in particular because of comparative lesser exports due to a variety of reason beyond its control. Pakistan has suffered from the challenges of law and order, energy crisis and increased competition in the markets of Europe and the US. Therefore, the resilience of our business community in such times is truly commendable. I applaud the performance of the Export Award winners on their stellar performance. It is my conviction that our exporters will perform even better in future to accelerate the progress of our economy.
I am grateful to the Honourable Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for sparing some of his precious time to confer awards to leading exporters which is a reflection of the incumbent government's desire to promote exports. I am thankful to all the office bearers, senior business leaders, Members of the Executive Committee and Secretariat Staff for their contribution in organising this mega annual event successfully.
I wish the winners every success for the future and hope that they will make us proud by flying the flag ofPakistan even higher in international markets next year.