FAISALABAD. Patron-in-Chief of the United Business Group (UBG) & former Chief Executive Officer of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, S.M. Munir said that UBG will make a clean sweep in the elections of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) because of its unprecedented and sincere services for the cause of business community.
Addressing the first meeting of the election campaign of UBG in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here today, he said that the UBG is striving hard to resolve the problems confronted by the business community with the confidence of its voters. The meeting was attended by the nominated office bearers of UBG for FPCCI in addition to the members of General Body and Executive Body. He said that few years ago the FPCCI was hijacked by a corrupt group which was the basic reason to create UBG to fight against these elements. He said that UBG nominated Mian Mohammad Adrees as president FPCCI four years ago. The business community reposed full confidence in his leadership and he totally changed the chemistry of FPCCI.
The FPCCI that had lost its importance was reactivated as a truly representative trade body of the business community.
He told that during first year of its creation, UBG grabbed 11 out of 13 seats. Similarly, during second year, it had won 12 seats and now it will In Sha Allah make a clean sweep as 11 voters from Lahore has now also joined UBG.
He said that Mian Muhammad Adrees spent millions of rupees from his own pocket to restore the effectiveness of FPCCI. He also cultivated good working relationship with the government and forced it to negotiate with the business community while making economic related decisions.
He said that his followers continued to work on his footprints and completed the building of FPCCI Office in Islamabad. “We are also getting rental income of Rs.4 million from this complex”, he said and added that we have sufficient funds in our kitty to purchase a plot for regional offices of FPCCI in Lahore while full-fledge offices would also be constructed in Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa (KPK) and Baluchistan.
He said that the leadership of UBG is committed to resolve the problems of business community and the nominated office bearers will convene a country wide businessmen convention in Lahore on 31st January immediately after their elections. They will take the business leaders into their confidence to finalize future line of action.
He also nominated Mian Muhammad Adrees as Chairman Punjab chapter of the UBG and said that he will also make arrangements for this proposed convention as convener of this mega event.
He opposed sit-ins and said that these are counterproductive for the normal business activities and hence government must resolve the issue of protestors on top priority basis. He said that it is not fair to cripple the normal activities through such sit-ins.
