RAWALPINDI: Center of Excellence CPEC Executive Director and Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Joint Director Dr Safdar A Sohail said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has an opportunity to bring Pakistan into global economic mainstream.
Addressing the participants of consultative workshop on CPEC arranged at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), Dr Sohail highlighted various opportunities and structural logjams in the utilisation of CPEC.
Senior Vice President Saqib Rafiq, Vice President Muhammad Aqil Obaid, former president Amanullah Khan, members of the executive committee, officials from PIDE and a large number of traders attended the workshop on CPEC. Dr Safdar said that China is a time-tested friend of Pakistan and we are proud having all weather friendship higher than Himalayas.
The executive director apprised the participants of the workshop about the CPEC Business opportunities and challenges and details about the major dimensions of CPEC. He compared the foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of Pakistan with the inflows of different neighboring countries and shared the volume and cost of different early harvest projects of CPEC.
The Senior Research and Evaluation Specialist at Ministry of Commerce, Tayyaba Batool also explained about the diversification of exports of new products and new market scheme. She provided details of the new products and the new market in which Pakistan should export its products.
Earlier, Saqib Rafiq gave a brief summary of the chamber past, current and upcoming events and activities. He said that the mega project is being termed as “Game Changer” for the economy of Pakistan; however, the project will remain inefficient if the true potential of the project is not utilized. Knowing the importance of the project, the business community across the country needs to be engaged in this project. Rawalpindi region is one of the major cities that lies in the northern part of CPEC and that is why there exists a huge potential to boost the trade and other business activity in the region.
