KARACHI: Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) & Former President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Siraj Kassam Teli has categorically stated that BMG will not support any group or participate in the forthcoming election of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI).
“FPCCI continues to follow the same old policy of ‘hails to the presence’ and remains subjugated by fake/ bogus and paper-based trade associations/ chambers, resulting in making the true representatives of Business and Industrial community voiceless, which is the basic reason why BMG and KCCI prefers staying away from FPCCI election”, he added in a statement issued on Thursday.
While referring to numerous contesting groups of FPCCI election who approached BMG to seek support, Siraj Teli said that all these Groups, who were looking for BMG’s support, are informed that BMG will not support anyone as FPCCI has not been able to effectively expel fake and bogus associations. “FPCCI is still marred with corruption and continues to represent dozens of bogus and fake chambers and trade bodies”, he added.
Highlighting KCCI’s stance against registration of fake/ bogus trade associations in FPCCI, Siraj Teli said that because of these bogus trade bodies, FPCCI has lost its credibility as it remains busy in just flattering and pleasing the decision makers.
He said that BMG and KCCI also have serious objections over FPCCI’s way of working as instead of highlighting core national issues and giving recommendations/ dealing on numerous policies at federal level, FPCCI is engaged in carrying out activities/ meetings which do not fall under its domain. “Such activities/ meetings are encroachments on the activities which are in the domain Chambers/ trade associations/ All Pakistan Trade Associations etc. as FPCCI does not have any businessmen or industrialists as its members therefore they, as an institution, should take inputs about policy issues pertaining to budget, trade and economy from its member Chambers/ Trade Associations and forward them to the policymakers at the federal level”, he added.
To improve FPCCI’s state of affairs, BMG Chairman, on various occasions, has been urging the need to revert back to Trade Organization Ordinance (TOO) 2007 with few amendments and completely abolish TOO 2013 which gave enough room to bogus trade bodies to take advantage of the situation.
He said that although assurances have been given from time to time to completely cleanse FPCCI from fake/ bogus and paper-based associations but, disappointingly, no progress has been achieved.
Siraj Teli assured that the Karachi Chamber and Businessmen Group would fully support those initiatives which focus on completely banishing bogus/ fake trade bodies/ associations from FPCCI.
