LAHORE: Good and balanced relations between the government and the business community is a key to success. In today’s global scenario, businessmen are the driving force of the economy therefore government should shape the business atmosphere in the favor of trade and economic activities.
These views were expressed by the LCCI President Malik Tahir Javed, Senior Vice President Khawaja Khawar Rasheed and Vice President Zeeshan Khalil while speaking at a function in honor of new office-bearers of All Pakistan Paper Merchants Association. Former LCCI President Muhammad Ali Mian, APPMA leaders Muhammad Saleem Bakia, Bao Muhammad Bashir, Haji Habib Noor and Khamis Saeed Butt also spoke on the occasion.
The LCCI President Malik Tahir Javed said that to maintain a steady and upward economic growth, government should get rid of those obstacles that are hindering the growth of businesses. It would also help increase GDP growth rate that is moving around 4.71 percent. He said that rules & regulations and laws for trade & industry should be established and implemented through consultative process.
Malik Tahir Javed said that all the policies would give desired results if they are made in consultation with concerned stakeholders and all others made in isolation would definitely not work the way they should. He said that Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producing country of the world while we have the fifth and third largest reserves of gold & copper and coal respectively. According to a rough estimate, value of our coal reserves is around $ 3 trillion that is 187 times more than the GDP of Pakistan. It can also be an eye-opener that worth of our coal reserves is higher than the combined oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran. Only 2% of Pakistani coal reserves could generate 20,000 MW electricity for almost 50 years.
He said early construction of water reservoirs is only solution to generate cheaper electricity and to overcome water shortage in the country. In addition to gold, copper and coal, the country is also enriched with vast reserves of precious stones, gypsum, salt and marble but instead of taking full advantage of these God-gifted resources most of the share being exported in raw form and a little attention towards value addition could do miracle for the country and its people.
The LCCI Senior Vice President Khawaja Khawar Rasheed and Vice President Zeeshan Khalil said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry will take all possible measures to promote the paper and paperboard sectors that are extending social services by keeping the education in the reach of common man. They urged the newly elected office-bearers of the APPMA to forward their proposals to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry so that the issued being faced by them could be taken up with concerned government circles.
