KARACHI: European Union through Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, United Kingdom, has offered technical and financial support to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) for its capacity building with ultimate goal of upgrading all small chambers and trade associations to ensure sustainable production, consumption and development in Pakistan.
Director, International Trade Department of Birmingham Chamber Jonathan Webber, leading the Birmingham Chamber's team here, in a meeting with FPCCI's President Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, the Vice-Presidents and a group of other senior leaders of FPCCI here at the Federation House on Tuesday sought a five-year strategy from FPCCI based on a chain of capacity building projects in different areas/ fields so that EU and Birmingham Chamber could respond and move forward accordingly.
"EU has huge funds on this account. It all depends on your vision, homework and coordination. We will support those projects that are results-oriented and feasible," Webber emphasised.
He was accompanied by India-Pakistan Trade Coordinator of Birmingham Chamber Jawad Sardar and the Commercial Counsellor in Pakistan High Commission in London.
Besides the President, FPCCI team included Vice Presidents S. Khalid Tawab, Engr. Muhammad Usman Shaikh and M. Dawood Jakhura, and former
vice president Muhammad Mansha Chhurra, Secretary General FPCCI Masood Alam Rizvi, Chairperson of Women Association of Fashion Designers (WAFD) Ms. Huma Nasir, Director FPCCI Mir Nasir Abbas.
The Director, Birmingham Chamber suggested that secretariat staff of FPCCI should visit his Chamber in small groups for orientation and job-specific short trainings in different departments of the UK Chamber so that they could bring changes and improvement to make FPCCI more efficient to match the demands of changing global economy.
Thus, this apex trade body of Pakistan should come up as role model for all its member chambers and associations spread in the country. FPCCI officials after getting training can act as master trainers for other chambers of Pakistan.
The Secretariat officials of Birmingham Chamber, he added, will also visit FPCCI to see its working and suggest and introduce new elements for its up-gradation especially strengthening of its research and data department.
The Commercial Counsellor at Pakistan High Commission in London explaining the criterion for capacity building projects to be supported by EU said these should be sustainable, have a visible portion of women and be environment friendly.
"Please, write down the areas where you need EU support for capacity building. What FPCCI wants to do for promotion of trade and industry in Pakistan in next five years," she pleaded.
The meeting decided to formally communicate with each other to further the agenda of capacity development programme of European Union.
Jonathan Webber informed the FPCCI leaders that through Birmingham Chamber the EU had already completed a five-year programme of capacity building with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) starting from 2005. He had visited Karachi ten times during this period to see the progress and expressed satisfaction over the outcome.
EU wants to focus SMEs which make around 90 % of industry in Pakistan. Under its programme titled "Switch Asia" the EU has been working in other countries of Asia as well to explore the big economic potential and help in sustainable development in this entire region, he said.
Webber said he loved to work in Pakistan and wanted to bring British people here to let them see the environment and feel the good trade and investment opportunities available here against the reports
in certain sections of media.
President FPCCI Senator Haji Ghulam Ali welcomed the EU initiative and assured all cooperation to make the programme successful.
He said Pakistan Government and the business community wanted access to trade in European Union and other advanced countries, instead of aid. EU can also help in resolving the problems facing the industry of Pakistan especially energy crisis which has become a serious challenge.
We want to extend support to eliminate poverty, he said.
The increasing joblessness here would encourage extremism and other social problems. Political and economic stability in Pakistan is in the interest of the whole world, he maintained.
He briefed the foreign delegation about the organisation and working of FPCCI which has 40 plus chambers and 89 associations as its members.
In Pakistan, there are also seven women chambers. A new chamber of commerce and industry has been set up to cover tribal areas of the country and it has brought good results.
He assured that any technology and know-how would be easily disseminated to small chambers and trade associations of the country.-APP
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