Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Commerce said that the role of business community is very important in steering the economy out of current crisis and said that the government would take all possible measures for ease of doing business to facilitate them in business development. He lauded the efforts of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) for the establishment of a new Industrial Zone and construction of an Expo Centre in the Capital and assured that he would cooperate for the materialization of these projects as they are very important to boost industrialization and improve trade & exports of the country. He said this while talking to the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He also inaugurated a new Syed Naveed Qamar Hall in ICCI premises.
Syed Naveed Qamar welcomed the ICCI plan for launching an FM Radio for the business community to educate them on business related matters including the trade laws, regulations, importance of exports and assured that he would play a role to facilitate them in this project.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry briefed the Federal Minister for Commerce about the importance of a new industrial zone in the region as the current industrial estates in the Capital have reached the point of saturation and the potential investors are facing problems in setting up new industries in the region. He stressed that the government should cooperate with ICCI in identifying and acquisition of land to complete this vital project as soon as possible. He said that a great boost in exports is the best option to bring the country out of the current economic crisis and said that CDA has agreed to cooperate with ICCI for the construction of a state-of-the-art Expo Centre in the Capital on the pattern of Expo Centers in Lahore and Karachi to introduce exportable products of Pakistan. He said that the support of the government would help ICCI in early completion of this important project. He also shared ICCI’s plan for the launch of an FM Radio for the business community and hoped that the government would facilitate the Chamber in this regard.
Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President ICCI said that many investors are shifting to other areas due to lack of space for new industrial units in Islamabad and said that the government’s support for a new industrial zone would attract more investment to this region.
Engr. Azhar ul Islam Zafar, Vice President ICCI said that the Ministry of Commerce should finalize trade and exports policies in consultation with chambers of commerce of the country to make them more effective and result-oriented.
Khalid Iqbal Malik Group Leader, Zafar Bakhtawari former President & Secretary General UBG, Zubair Ahmed Malik & Muhammad Ejaz Abbasi former Presidents ICCI and others also discussed many issues of the business community with the Federal Minister of Commerce and sought his cooperation to address them.
