MULTAN: The newly-elected office bearers of the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), including president Khawaja Salahuddin and Senior vice-president Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah, Vice President Shafi Anis Sheikh, and Rabia Shehzad (woman entrepreneur seat) spelt out their priorities for the coming year at the annual general meeting held here.
The meeting was presided over by the outgoing President Mian Fazal Elahi Sheikh and election commissioners Khawaja Muhammad Yousaf. Khawaja Salahuddin said that MCCI is the oldest and pioneer chamber of South Punjab which had set its strong far-reaching traditions which had helped the business community in setting their directions.
He said that Pandemic COVID 19 inflation, dearness, price-hike and utility tariff had badly hit the trade and industrial activities in South Punjab while SMEs were mostly affected by this situation. Similarly farmer community also suffered losses due to low per acre yield. In spite of these bottlenecks, we have to serve the industry and agriculture in a better way and he highlighted their problems at the national level through media to get redress them.
Khawaja Salahuddin hailed the Government’s policies for the development of trade, industry and agriculture. He also eulogised the setting up of Civil Secretariat in South Punjab to solve the problems at people’s doorstep, the establishment of Universities in Multan i.e University of Health Sciences, University of Engineering and Technology, Agricultural University, Women University, CPEC related projects. He paid rich tributes to martyrs of Armed forces who laid down their lives for the cause of the country and eliminated the terrorism and Made Pakistan a peaceful country to attract the foreign buyers.
He also highlighted the social, cultural and literary activities through Multan Chamber and promotion of Blue pottery, Glass cutwork, Camel bone works, camel skin work etc. The MCCI president said that we would have to change our strategy to meet the post-COVID-19 problems and improving the exports, and take measures to save our economy from international recession, playing a role of the bridge between the trading community and the policymakers and improvement of infrastructure in the South Punjab in general and Multan in particular.
He said that he would serve the business community with the consent of colleagues in the business and industry and former presidents of the MCCI for the guidance of the government to achieve the economic revival in the shortest possible time. To increase production, he said, the business community would have to spend its energies in enhancing exports, particularly non-traditional items.
Senior Vice President Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah congratulated the nation for its “victory” against COVID-19 and said “social economy” has played an important role in addressing and mitigating the short- and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on economy and society. He said that the social economy has proven to be a pioneer in identifying and implementing social innovations and alternative ways of organising economic activities. These innovations have often been subsequently mainstreamed and adopted by the rest of the economy (such as fair trade, organic food movements or ethical finance).
He said the simplification of taxes would also be on his priority list. He said the main objective of the MCCI was to promote trade and industry and all available resources would be utilized for the economic turnaround as the economic meltdown had started taking its heavy toll. He said frequent market visits and a consistent liaison with the fellow businessmen would be the cornerstone of the working of the newly-elected office-bearers of the MCCI. Vice President Shafi Anis Sheikh said that he would try his utmost to promote the export of products of southern Punjab.
He would focus on the problems faced by the cottage industry, agriculture sector which is a backbone of country’s economy and we can earn more than one billion dollars by exporting fresh fruits and vegetables to European Union, the United States and other countries. Ms. Rabia Shehzad said that she would particularly focus on the promotion of women entrepreneurship in the country. Outgoing MCCI president Mian Fazal Elahi Sheikh presented a detailed report of his performance and achievement during the year. He said the Multan chamber played a key role in battling against pandemic COVID 19 and provided masks, sanitisers, soap and safety things to hospitals and homes.
Similarly, Personal Protective articles were provided to Doctors and para medical staff besides providing lunch and dinner boxes for the attendants of patients of coronavirus, Ration was distributed during lockdown among a large number of jobless persons who were confined to homes.
Necessary medicine is being supplied to the patients of Thalassemia. He further said that Ambassadors of France, Russia, Chairman PBIT, Provincial Chief of SMEDA and other dignitaries were invited during the years for trade consultation. Many dignitaries could not visit Multan Chamber due to lockdown and pandemic.
Mian Rashid Iqbal thanked the media and chamber staff for their wholehearted cooperation during his tenure. He said,” I am satisfied that I have served the community in spite of a crucial situation. Earlier, the election commission formally announced names of winners from the corporate, associate class and one reserved seat for women.
At the end of the annual general meeting, the newly-elected office-bearers assumed the charge of their offices. The annual General meeting was attended by former Presidents, SVPs, VPS and senior members. Secretary-General Muhammad Shafiq conducted the whole proceedings of the Annual General meeting.
The house also approved the annual besides appointing an auditor and fixation of his fee. The Meeting was also attended by Mian Tanvir A Sheikh Ex-President of FPCCI, Former President of MCCI, Mian Farid Mughis Sheikh,Khawaja Muham,mad Usman, Malik Asrar Awan, Muhammad Sarfraz, Muhammad Khan Saddozai, Mian Anis a Sheikh, Ch. Zulfikar Anjum, Sheikh Ahsan Rasheed, Khawaja Muhammad Younas, Chairman APBUMA,, Former Chairman of PCGA Shehzasd Ali Khan, Suhail Mehmood Haral,Khawaja Muhammad Shafiq, Khawaja Muhammad Fazail and many others
