By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Capital Office, Qurban Ali Sunday said that FPCCI would arrange to offer a comprehensive development plan for modernizing the industrial sector in the country.
The transfer of technology from developed economies, promotion of e-commerce, value addition in the agriculture sector and also to introduce innovation in the country’s industrial sector are the major focus of FPCCI in a new plan of development in local industries, Senior leader of FPCCI , Qurban Ali told.
The senior business leader said that exploration of new markets and regional trade integration are the key elements for economic and trade expansion to materialize the industrial policy of the government.
Responding to a question on regional trade connectivity with regional countries, he said Afghanistan can provide economic and trade connectivity with Central Asian States (CARs) whereas exploration of untapped market like Africa region and additional potential market of European Union (EU), North American countries besides Association of South East Asian Nations (ASIANs) are the major potential for increasing the connectivity and trade integration with regional and word economy.
The senior business leader said that economic relations with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs) would make Pakistan a hub for regional trade, transit and transshipment.
He said that China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a project of global significance would connect the whole country from Balochistan to Gilgit Baltistan (GB) with big economies like China. Qurban Ali said that Gilgit Baltistan and Northern Areas are considered as the gateway of CPEC as after the completion of this mega project Gilgit Baltistan would not only be connected with the major cities of the country but also with the great neighboring economy China. He stressed the need of speedy work on Gilgit Baltistan Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to modernize the local industry to increase the local export to the neighboring China and Central Asian States (CARs).
Meanwhile, he informed that Gilgit Baltistan has huge potential in tourism, Agriculture, livestock, mining, fisheries, fruits and vegetables for exploiting this potential there is need to develop agro industry in the region.
He said that value addition in local Agriculture would not only boost the GBs economy but also earn foreign exchange for the country through trade of these items.
Qurban said that Pakistan has huge potential to convert its land to trade corridor for regional and world trade through its geo-economic location in the region.
He said that a boost in trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan would maximize chances of regional economic integration and enhance the connectivity among neighboring countries.
The Senior Business leader said that recently Pakistan and Afghanistan were mainly focusing on transit, bilateral and informal trade issues, which would be important for regional economic integration.
He said Pakistan has already allowed Afghanistan to use Gwadar for its transit trade as the same was demanded by the Central Asian States to connect them with Gwadar port in near future.
Now both sides have agreed to provide opportunities to Afghanistan trade items through Gwadar and Bin Qasim Ports in a good gesture to enhance the economic ties.
He hoped that the review agreement of Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) would also be expected to sign in coming months of 2021 and investment-related matters would be resolved in the recent bilateral dialogue between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
