LAHORE: In order to attract investment and promote economic wellbeing in the country, media which is a powerful tool needs to highlight positive news items as well.
This was stated by Nishat Group of Companies Chairman Mian Mansha while speaking at the conference on ‘Investment Climate: Way Forward & Role of Media’ arranged by Media Advocacy Centre here at the Royal Palm Country.
Eminent economists, bankers, industrialists, experts and media personalities including Dr Pervaiz Tahir, Salman Shah, Syed Babar Ali, Kausar Hameed, Arif Nizami, Ramiza Nizami, Sikandar Lodhi and others also spoke on the occasion.
“Our media needs to be more responsible. It should also highlight good deeds and achievements of the businessmen and industrialists,” Mian Mansha said, adding, “I have been one of the biggest, exporters, employers, investors and taxpayers in the country but the media has never highlighted this fact.”
“Recently, a few media houses have run baseless and fabricated story that my group has been disbursed 70 per cent of the total circular debts payment which is incorrect,” he said adding that MCB bank has been given only 4 per cent of the paid amount which is far less than our share.
Mian Mansha said that the media needs to work with professional honesty in order to bring economic wellbeing, prosperity and investment in the country. He said, “It is one of our great achievements that in the whole region, Pakistani banks are better capitalised and financially more sound which is worth mentioning to encourage the sector.”
Former federal caretaker minister for finance Salman Shah said that transparent privatisation is the need of the hour for economic revival of the country while non-transparent privatisation is disastrous for an already fragile economy.
Economist Dr Pervaiz Tahir said that the government and businessmen do not look beyond IMF, adding, “If life is not secure who will invest in future.”
He said that terrorism and energy crisis should be given top priority to arrest the economic downturn, adding that the government must announce a three-year plan to work on the issues. He categorically said that distribution of laptop and solar panels was mere wastage of the resources.
Kasur Hameed said that Corporate and Social Responsibility (CSR) can defeat poverty and proper implementation of the CSR can resolve the issue of haves and have-nots to avoid further deterioration.
Senior journalist Arif Nazami criticised the newly-elected government o f PML-N and said that before elections the PML-N leadership was claiming to bring the economy back on track but just within three month in govt, they have worsen the situation.
He said, “We are the sixth biggest nuclear power in the world but it is not understandable as to why our rulers want China and Turkey to teach us lesson on economic prosperity.”
