News: US urged to set up economic zones in tribal belt
Name of NewsPaper: Business Recorder
Date of Publication: Wednesday, 13 February, 2008
URL:http://www.businessrecorder.com.pk/index.php?id=693864&currPageNo=1&query=&search=&term=&supDate=

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD (February 13 2008): The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has said that public-private sector partnership could help in making Pakistan competitive globally, besides cutting down its cost of doing business. The FPCCI leaders gave a number of suggestions at a roundtable organised by them in collaboration with Competitiveness Support Fund (CSF).

The FPCCI former president, Iftikhar Ali Malik appreciated CSF for providing the traders and industrialists valuable input for different sectors of the economy. Iftikhar Malik urged the US to honour its commitment to establish special economic zones in tribal belt and encourage the people by providing better income source close to their residences.

He said delay in clearing the proposal by US congress was creating doubts about the programme. He said Bush administration should use its good offices to convince US Congress that early clearance of the programme for Pakistan's tribal area could work to the best expectations to bring the people living there in alternative source of income and shun away extremism and sectarianism.

CSF chief said that CSF has worked out an agenda for economic progress and stability of Pakistan and he will like to use this forum for listing some areas including energy, infrastructure and HR development.

He showed confidence that February 18, elections will bring stability and peace to Pakistan to help it complete the agenda of empowering the people and making progress on economic front to ensure better facilities to the people. He added that CSF should help Pakistan train its human resource for taking full advantage of its resources.

FPCCI committee chairman on competitiveness and Pakistan, Rahmetullah Javed, in his welcome address highlighted the importance of CSF-led initiatives taken during 2007 and expressed confidence that it will even do better in 2008.

He said that FPCCI was doing the best efforts on its part to make Pakistan's industry and trade viable and competitive and get maximum share in the global market. Rahmatullah Javed maintained that FPCCI will keep on using its resources to guide its member trade and industries' associations to become competitive and reap the benefits of their resources and human resources.

Rahmatullah Javed was of the view that one cannot escape from ground reality that competitiveness and globalisation rule the world and their proper implementation can bring good to a country. He said CSF and PFCCI will work closely to identify the areas wherein Pakistan's trade and industry need improvement. He added that Pakistan missed its target set in 2007 for competitiveness but hoped that things will work next time for 2008 to improve its performance drastically.

A large number of different stakeholders, government and CSF officials, Provincial Commerce Minister Mian M Shafique, Minister for Labour Shahzad Azam US Counsellor Hunt attended the roundtable.