Businessmen congratulate newly-elected prime minister

The Businessmen Group (BMG) and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on behalf of the business community of Karachi, felicitated Shahbaz Sharif on taking oath as 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan.

In a joint statement, BMG Chairman Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairman Tahir Khaliq, Haroon Farooki, Anjum Nisar and Jawed Bilwani, General Secretary AQ Khalil, KCCI President Muhammad Idrees, Senior Vice President Abdul Rehman Naqi and Vice President Qazi Zahid Hussain hoped that the Prime Minister will prioritise the urgent economic issues of the country and pay attention to the problems of the business and industrial community of Karachi.

They also advised the Prime Minister to come up with an effective mechanism which must ensure that the decisions or policies which directly or indirectly affect trade and industry, must be devised in consultation with the business and industrial community.

The BMG and KCCI office bearers were of the opinion that the federal government needs to pay attention towards some of the most pressing issues of Karachi particularly improving the infrastructure of Karachi and other serious issues like gas, electricity and water crises faced by the business and industrial community of the city.

They noted that the city contributes a mammoth share of more than 65 per cent revenue to the national exchequer, more than 95 per cent to the provincial kitty and 54 per cent in terms of exports despite all odds.

In order to ensure sustainable economic prosperity, the federal government has to revisit all the policies so that the sense of deprivation felt by Karachiites and the city’s business community may be negated, they added.

They stressed that the Prime Minister must gather a team of economic experts and reliable and honest members of the business community, who have knowledge of the issues of the different sectors of the economy.

The proposed that a team composed of genuine representatives of the business and industrial community would surely be able to prudently guide the government in formulating numerous policies directly or indirectly affecting the trade and industry.

This will create a win-win situation and would be warmly welcomed by the entire business and industrial community of Pakistan as it was in the larger interest of the country, they added.

The BMG leadership and KCCI office bearers extended full support and cooperation to the Prime Minister and his team so that long-lasting progress and prosperity for the entire country could be ensured.

On another occasion, the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati) Patron-in-Chief SM Muneer, President Salman Aslam, Acting President Syed Farrukh Ali Qandahari, Senior Vice President Maheen Salman, and KITE Chief Executive Officer Zubair Chhaya congratulated Shahbaz Sharif on becoming Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Muneer said that the business and industrial community of the country expects the newly elected Prime Minister to formulate broad-based policies for the development of the country and the improvement of the economy.

The expectations of the people and the business and industrial community of the country are attached to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, he said and hoped that he would fulfill these expectations.

In a separate statement, Kati President Salman Aslam said that the country is facing many difficulties and challenges which can be overcome with immediate attention and effective measures.

Aslam expected the newly elected government to address the key challenges of the industry including reduction of production costs, inflation, increase in exports, stabilisation of foreign exchange reserves, and depreciation of the dollar.

Kati Acting President Syed Farrukh Qandahari said that the country’s economy is currently in deep crisis, especially the industrial sector is facing serious problems. He expressed hope that the newly elected Prime Minister will form an economic team to address these issues, and find a quick and long lasting solution.

Qandhari wished that the Prime Minister would take immediate steps to address the problems facing the industrial community of the country, and would play an effective role in resolving the long-standing economic problems facing the industrialists of Karachi. The industrial and commercial community of the country could play its best role in the development of the country, he said.