6th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave on March 16

ISLAMABAD: The three-day 6th SAARC Business Leaders Conclave would be held on March 16, at Kathmandu featuring direct one on one interactive discussions and deliberations between torch bearers and influential leaders of the South Asian economy.

According to a press statement issued by SAARC CCI here Monday, Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli will inaugurate the event.

President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Suraj Vaidya, while talking to Vice President SAARC Chamber Pakistan chapter Iftikhar Ali Malik told that ministers of commerce and industry and scores of the top business leaders from all member countries have confirmed their participation to contribute towards the success of the conclave.

He said that event will bring together the region’s economic and business thinkers, doers and change makers on one common platform to discuss, debate and create solutions and opportunities to take South Asia on the track of shared prosperity through economic integration.

He said that South Asia is the fastest growing region in the world but still there are plenty of challenges including the internal challenges of meeting and overcoming policy, fiscal and financial vulnerabilities.

All South Asian countries have liberalized their foreign investments laws and rules and are actively competing for international investment. But there is very few joint ventures involving businessmen from various countries within the region.

Emergence of truly South Asian multinationals successful in the global economic space is must for shared prosperity. He said that top class panels and moderators of 12 sessions of the conclave will discuss models for building better business partnerships and increase the intra-regional capital flows and ways to unlock the potential of regional economic co-operation and integration while building public-private collaborations.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said that South Asia needs technological, economic and political innovations to resolve the conflicts and remove barriers for economic and political co-operation in the region. He said that the ability of the South Asian leadership of all walks of life to look beyond the current issues and problems will determine the state of our co-operation and also the future of people of the region. He said that energy sector could also play a key role in the region’s socio economic development and a driver of regional integration.

He said that the challenges, increasing demand for energy, sustainable development, low competitiveness, reducing environmental impacts, transfer of knowledge and know how that South Asian countries are experiencing today calls for collections consolidated action across the whole region, oriented towards tangible results.