Former president, Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and general secretary Businessman Panel (BMP), Haji Ghulam Ali has said that the incompetency of the ruling United Business Group (UBG) group has eroded the role of the apex trade body in the resolution of the problems and mitigation of the grievances of business community.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that the business community of the country in the recent past has observed three highly success shutter downs in the history of the country. But, the role of the federation was neither visible in the strike nor in connections with negotiations aimed at ending the strike.
The low profile of the federation on such important matters has felt by the government that the body has lost the status of the big stakeholder in the resolution of the problems of business community and as well as in economic development of the country and has become a den of the vested interest.
He has also attributed the complete ignoring of the federation in the recently constituted 21-member consultative council by the government as another ample proof that the apex trade body has lost its supreme status. He said that elements responsible for the dismal status of the FPCCI are using this important body for their publicity and securing of their personal interest. The former president FPCCI alleged that the office bearers of the federation are collecting an annual fee of Rs.75,000/- from all chambers and associations across the country and then spent it on their personal luxuries in Karachi.
He said that though a beautiful building has been constructed for the establishment of the FPCCI Capital Office, but some vested interests are still creating hurdles in the shifting of the head office of the federation to federal capital Islamabad. He said that all countries of the world have the head office of their chamber of commerce in their capital and that is the reason that whenever our President and Prime Minister and higher authorities of the Industries and Commerce Ministries visit any foreign country they also address the business community of that particular state. Haji Ghulam Ali said that such events help promote trade relations and people to people contact. But, unfortunately and ineffectiveness of the Capital Office, no head of the foreign state had visited that office so far.
He demanded of the government of Pakistan and particularly, the Ministries of Industries and Commerce to play role in shifting the FPCCI head office from Karachi to Islamabad to not only bring this national level trade body from the growing impact of regionalism rather also enable the business community to sit in federal capital and directly contact the government officials for the resolution of their problems.
He said that the annual FPCCI polls are scheduled on December 27, 2019 and urged on all chambers and associations to elect their representatives while keeping in view weaknesses and advantages and instead of protecting their personal interest and make sincere efforts for the resolution of their problems.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019