LAHORE: Pakistan Retail Business Council (PRBC) has been established to encourage and foster economic growth and human development through expansion and advancement of organised retail business in the country.
This was stated by PRBC chairman Ziad Bashir in the first board meeting of the newly-formed council. Bashir, who is also Director of Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Limited and Founder of Ideas by Gul Ahmed, said that the PRBC is an industry-funded organisation which is representing Organised Retail businesses of Pakistan that have significantly contributed to growth of Pakistan’s economy. Its members include Service Sales Corporation (Pvt) Limited, Bata Pakistan Limited, Al-Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) Limited, Sefam (Pvt) Limited, Khaadi (Smc-Pvt) Limited, Gul Ahmed Textile Mills Limited, Team A Ventures (Pvt) Limited and Levis Strauss Pakistan (Pvt) Limited. The council is established to stimulate the economic growth of Pakistan through research on retail industry, advocacy, and policy making.
The chairman said that being the first and only strong advocate for Organised Retailing business, PRBC plans to work with the government and other public authorities to assist them in devising national policies relating to brand protection, trademarks, levies and taxation.
He said that PRBC is also planning to suggest measures to the government for elimination of smuggling, under invoicing, over invoicing, fake products and misuse of brands. PRBC is a non-profit organisation which is registered under section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984.
