The Business Men Panel (BMP) of FPCCI has announced its agenda and priorities for turning around national economy, rebuilding of business community's confidence, revival of small and large scale industries and creation of job opportunities for the youth.
The contesting group for the coming FPCCI election 2018 has topped Textile sector, among its 22 priorities, owing to the sector's importance and its contribution to the national economy and exports.
The group vows to get reduced taxes and input costs of textile sector. Besides, establishment of industrial zones, promotion of hotel industry, promotion of precious gems and stone sector, resolution to the problems of commercial importers of raw material and ghee and oil industry, resolving issues of poultry sector and builders and contractors and revival of agriculture exports as well as close coordination with the government to set up Special Economic Zones along with CPEC route.
Chairman BMP, Mian Anjum Nisar said that due to the importance of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) the group, if elected, will use apex trade body's platform to persuade authorities to get share of country's people in terms of employment and investment. "To benefit from the CPEC government and the FPCCI will have to play their respective role", he stated. "He thinks the government should put in place a framework to ensure 100pc utilization of local industry. If we want to benefit from the corridor initiative we have to give our companies their due share in the projects."
The Presidential Candidate Senator Haji Ghulam Ali said that country's exports are continuously declining which may be around $19.5 billion by the end of current fiscal year from $25 billion. "The country may face difficult situation in 2019 owing to declining exports, remittances and debt servicing". He said the deficit had remained around 80 per cent of exports till 2013-14 but has gradually climbed to 94pc, 115pc and 159pc during the last three years. A candid analysis of the structure of imports and exports is required to understand the causes of the widening chasm in the external account. "Structural transformation of the export sector is unavoidable to plug the unsustainable trade deficit. The earlier we reform, the lesser we bleed" Ghulam Ali added.
Talking to Business Recorder about the 2018 FPCCI election later this month, Spokesperson for BMP Ahmad Jawad claimed that the ruling group UBG is facing tough situation in Balochistan, still they are unable to find a candidate for their group which is a very importance province for the country trade prospectus. He said that during last three years the sitting management of FPCCI failed to make the regional office functional in Quetta to interact with the provincial government as well as international agencies.
Jawad also claimed that in the province of KPK, the UBG was also facing stiff competition to win the Chamber class seat. Majority of chambers have already announced to support Businessmen Panel due to our overwhelming services for the KP based chambers of Commerce. The spokesperson of BMP said our Slogan "Let us revive FPCCI" will prevail in its true spirit; he added.