National economic agenda: FPCCI nominates six-member team

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has a nominated a 6- member committee to assist the government in preparing a national economic agenda to steer Pakistan out of current financial crisis. The committee comprises FPCCI chief, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, Tariq Sayeed, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Mian Zahid and Shakeel Dhinghra.
Equal representation for the committee will come from the government. The purpose of forming the committee of the government and private sector is to study the issues confronted with the national economy and workout a strategy for finding a solution to existing economic crisis. The decision to form the committee was taken last month when finance minister, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh visited FPCCI House in Karachi to take businessmen leaders into confidence over existing financial situation of Pakistan.
FPCCI leadership had shown serious concern about the prevailing economic situation and suggested the finance minister formation of the committee of the representatives of the government and FPCCI. The committee will address the issue of energy crisis besides suggesting a workable strategy to the policy-makers for expanding the tax net to increase the national income from revenue. Pakistan's tax revenue is one of complex issues that are posing a serious threat to its financial sovereignty. Pakistan's current tax- to- GDP ratio is a serious challenge and the committee will take it as a task to evolve some strategy to help Pakistan raise its tax-to-GDP ratio to a reasonable level.