By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said ease of doing business and use of innovative strategies by incorporating digital technology was essential to ensuring sustainable business activities in the country.
Addressing at the launch of Asaan Karobar Programme organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Board of Investment, the president emphasized a regulatory yet conducive environment that facilitated the businessmen to easily launch and operate their activities.
President Alvi said a country’s prime interest was to promote business activities and stressed the importance of taking onboard the stakeholders for a successful policy formulation.
He mentioned that the government’s effective strategy of holding consultations with the relevant traders and businessmen helped revive the textile industry.
He lauded the online portal launched by the Ministry of Commerce aimed at identifying regulatory obstacles and problems through active involvement of private sector and business associations.
He congratulated the State Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Federal Board of Revenue for their coordinated efforts in ensuring a business-friendly environment in the country.
Dr Alvi also pointed out a few hiccups in the smooth flow of processes and the reasons for bureaucratic red-tapism , however stressed the need for changing mindsets and improving attitude towards work or businesses for better efficiency and deliverance. In this regard, he said, minimizing the human factor, increasing dependence on technology and adhering to timelines could prove helpful.
President Alvi also urged offering women in the country the opportunities of ease of business through digital setups, adding that an across the board inclusion of population could lead to vibrant and emergent middle class.
Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce highlighted the reforms that had been implemented by Board of Investment (BOI) to reduce compliance burden on businesses and to promote ease of doing business specifically in small and medium enterprises.
He said the government had taken effective steps to facilitate the businessmen and traders that helped ensure economic growth in the country.
Minister of State & Chairman BOI Muhammad Azfar Ahsan termed the Asaan Karobar Programme as a historic and nationwide reform drive to improve ease of doing business in Pakistan.
Chairman BOI added that it is a harmonized system of regulations aimed at achieving a conducive business environment that is recognized and acknowledged globally.
He said more than 100 reforms had been implemented which had significantly contributed to transform the investment climate of Pakistan.
He said the reforms had been introduced in three rounds. Around 167 reforms have been taken up with federal and provincial departments with a total of 115 reforms implemented involving 75 departments and have benefitted more than 30 sectors.
Chairman BOI added that the key sectors benefiting from these reforms include food processing, health sector, solar energy businesses, surgical sector, construction and tourism etc.
Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi Friday said that amidst the onslaught of digital media influencing the thinking of everyone globally, it was essential to strengthen the intellectual power of the youth to enable them to judge the fake news.
The president, addressing a seminar on “Digital Transformation: Political economy of Media” held by Rifah Institute of Media Sciences, also called for constituting committees at schools to ensure enhanced discussions on the subject.
Quoting an American journal’s report, the president said the 14 years old youngsters were more susceptible to getting influenced by the fake news. Therefore, he said it was essential to launch countering efforts even before the kids reach the age of 14.
Lauding the idea of the seminar, the president said the similar exercises needed to be done at the larger scale to achieve a progressive Pakistan as digital media was transforming society across the world bringing a whole new world into existence.
He said as blocking the objectionable content could not be a solution, therefore the government and the educational institutions should enable the people to differentiate between right and wrong.
He said for sake of clients, the digital media companies flooded the users with the desired content on the basis of web analytics, exposing everyone particularly teenagers to the risks of undesirable content.
He said every conservative society desired to control the social media content to prevent its impact on society, however, it was not a solution to the problem. This technique is being used by all social media giants making the users dependent on it, he added.
He said owing to commercial reasons, the media could also not solely focus moral building of the society.
He said the Holy Quran had also advised the followers to judge the news before believing it, and exemplified the destruction of Iraq just on the basis of fake news of the existence of the weapons of mass destruction there.
President Alvi said the problem was getting complicated with the passage of time as the world was not getting deliverance from the wars. This necessitated moral training as well as enhanced discussions keeping in view the needs of the society.
He told the gathering that as the haptic and holographic technologies were getting sophisticated day by day, things would go out of human control within the next 10 to 15 years.
Vice Chancellor of Rifah International University and Chairman of Rahmatullil Alameen Authority Dr Anis Ahmed said besides providing entertainment, the media is also responsible for character building.
He said the children were getting influenced by the intellect being provided by the western media tools which was in no way conforming with our social norms.
He said keeping in view the negative impacts of the media onslaught, the media should play a constructive role to build an ideal society.
