KARACHI: Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), has emphasized on the need to have indigenous, research-based and data-driven solutions to business, economic, trade and industrial problems of Pakistan.

He was speaking at the occasion of a MoU signing ceremony between FPCCI and LUMS – aimed at tangibly promoting industry-academia linkages through policy advocacy and research.

Irfan Iqbal Sheikh added that FPCCI is the apex trade body of Pakistan and LUMS is the foremost business school of the country; and, we have committed to complimentarily converge our data, technical, research, industrial linkages and academic resources for the common objective of promoting research, analysis and publications for the business community and economic growth of Pakistan.

President FPCCI stated that agriculture & food security, taxation reforms, issues of trade & tariffs, import substitution, industrial productivity, energy prices and security, fiscal policy and budgetary deficit, external account management, cost & ease of doing business, promotion of SMEs, employment generation and monetary policy formulation require immediate attention of the industry & academia to come forward with the objective and workable solutions for the policymaking institutions.

Younus Dagha, chairman of FPCCI’s policy advisory board, elaborated that FPCCI and LUMS alliance has the potential to provide world-class policy advice for Pakistan based on latest research & analysis tools.

He specifically emphasized the need to utilize up-to-date and reliable data as that can be the real differentiation factor in making the joint efforts bear fruits. He also added that policy advocacy should be proactive in order to provide the input of stakeholders in a timely manner to be productive and result-oriented.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022