China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a game changer but it is also an issue directly related to the business community, hence its ownership should be given to private sector of Pakistan, demanded Rauf Alam, President Federation of Pakistan's Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI).
He was addressing to the business community in the auditorium of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) here on Tuesday. It was also attended by S M Muneer of Din Group of Industries, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Mian Muhammad Adrees former President FPCCI in addition to Zubair Tufail, the nominated candidate of the United Businessmen Group (UBG) for president ship of FPCCI for the year 2017.
Rauf Alam said that Pakistan is an economic hub of regional business activities. "We are holding the president ship of FPCCI, D-8 and ECO", he said and added that Pakistan is now making efforts to shift the head office of ECO to Islamabad as Head Offices of Islamic Chamber and SAARC Chamber are already housed in Islamabad.'
He told that the Executive Committee of ECO held in Iran decided to hold its next meeting on December 20, 2016 in Pakistan to take final decision on this proposal.
Regarding CPEC, he said that the Chinese investors have posed a direct challenge to the business community of Pakistan and we must be prepared to face these challenges. He said that Pakistani Government is also offering lucrative incentives to the Chinese investors and we must keep our eyes open in the fast changing scenario.
He said that CPEC is an economic agenda and hence its ownership should be entrusted to the private sector of Pakistan.
He mentioned an unconfirmed report that thousands of acres of land in Balochistan has been given to China. "70 percent of Chinese will set up their industrial units on this land while the remaining land will be leased out to the Pakistani industrialists which will be a very strange phenomenon," he added.
He also mentioned the construction of Capital office of FPCCI in Islamabad and said that he had promised its construction during his election campaign last year which has now been materialised with the active support of S M Muneer.
He said that the capital office has further enhanced the importance of FPCCI as it will help us to play an active role in policy making by the Federal Government and its concerned ministries and departments. He hoped that a bill will also be tabled in the National Assembly to enhance the tenure of President FPCCI from one to two year.
It will help elected representative to play his role effectively in addition to completing his designed agenda and promises.
He also appreciated the services of Mian Muhammad Adrees for the collective cause of business community and said he had set high targets for its successors and we are making our best efforts to achieve these targets under the guidance of the leaders of UBG. Iftikhar Ali Malik, Vice President SAARC Chamber in his speech also mentioned the construction of Lahore EXPO Centre and said it was a landmark step taken by UBG which will be remembered in the annals of history.
He further disclosed that a proposal has been forwarded to allocate three/three seats to private sector of technocrats in senate and national assembly. The nominated candidate for FPCCI Zubair Tufail also addressed and said that he will make all out efforts to accomplish the agenda of UBG. The function was also addressed by Mian Muhammad Adrees and S M Muneer. He demanded that Mian Muhamamd Adrees should be nominated as Textile Minister from Faisalabad.
Earlier Engineer Muhammad Saeed Sheikh, President FCCI welcomed the guests from all over Pakistan and said that the business community was facing multifarious problems as the FPCCI was hijacked by the myopic elements. He said that Mian Adrees and his successors tried their best to change the chemistry of FPCCI to make it true representative of the business community of Pakistan. He hoped that this tilt will bring a positive change in the trade politics of Pakistan. Later Rana Sikandar Azam Senior Vice President offered vote of thanks.