Footwear industry has great potential to grow and businessmen related with manufacturing of shoes, its trading and export should come within the folds of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry to resolve its inherent problems and have direct access to the international markets, said Engineer Rizwan Ashraf President FCCI.
He was talking to a delegation of footwear industry that met him with the leadership of Abdur Rehman and congratulated him on his election as president of this prime trade body. Rizwan Ashraf underlined the importance of diversification of trades and exports and said that it was imperative for the expeditious growth of the business and exports.
He termed footwear industry as an important and vibrant sector of economy but said that its growth has been dampened in past due to multiple reasons including non-availability of necessary facilities and lack of interest by businessmen.
He termed FCCI as mother of the all trade bodies that has been mandated to look after and facilitate all sector of economy. He said that no doubt textile is one of the major players of the economy by other sectors including footwear having their own dynamics and potential to grow at much faster pace.
He requested the members of the delegation to get immediately the membership of the FCCI and play their role to resolve their collective as well as sector specific problems from the platform of this prestigious and well acknowledged trade body that has direct links with government offices and institutions in addition to the foreign diplomats stationed in Pakistan.
They could have equal chances of en-cashing unlimited opportunities to grow and groom by becoming the members of FCCI. Responding to a question, he said that FCCI can help them to get visas without any unnecessary hassle to attend international show exhibitions and take their own trade specific delegations to various potential destinations.
The president FCCI requested Group Leader Abdur Rehman to immediately nominate a focal person who could interact with FCCI for the identification of their problems in addition to suggesting viable remedial steps and in the formulation of future strategy. He said that this would help FCCI to take up their issues at appropriate and relevant forums for their resolution.
He assured to arrange technical courses to provide skilled workforce to the footwear industry. He also assured to resolve their sales tax, income tax and dry port related issues in addition to helping them to get visas with the courtesy and recommendation of FCCI.
Group leader Abdur Rehman Zeeshan and Shehzad Ahmed thanked Engineer Rizwan Ashraf and assured that they would convince maximum businessmen related with the footwear industry to get membership of the FCCI and hopefully this task would be accomplished within a period of one week. Earlier, they also presented bouquets to Rizwan Ashraf and senior vice president Nadeem Allahwala.