ISLAMABAD: Planning, Development and Reform Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday urged the private sector to come forward and play its role for development of the country by exploring new trade avenues and business opportunities.
Addressing participants of Pakistan, Afghanistan and CARs Trade Summit organised by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), he asked them to identify existing trade issues and bottlenecks through discussion, besides enabling the government remove these hurdles to further enhance trade and business with Central Asian Republics and Afghanistan.
He said that regional cooperation was an important pillar of economic development, adding that only those countries earned respect in the present world, which had strong economies. Iqbal said that now Pakistan was on path of economic development and prosperity, adding that the country had been placed at better position because of better economic policies and reforms agenda.
He informed the audience that Pakistan would continue its campaign against extremism and terrorism and would not allow anyone to use its soil against other countries. The minister said that the government was giving full attention towards to improve its economy, adding that in the past, Pakistan was not succeeded to bolster its economic ties with Central Asian countries due to political instability.
He said that Pakistan intended to enhance its trade activities up to Central Asia via Afghanistan, and expressed confidence that the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would further enhance regional cooperation and trade activities. “Pakistan could prove to be an economic hub for China, Afghanistan and Central Asia. Pakistan had also started Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India (TAPI) gas pipeline project and CASA-1000 electricity import project to meet energy requirements in the country. After resolution of infrastructure issues like road and rail connectivity, trade and business activities would get a further boost,” he added.
He also expressed a need to initiate more steps in the administrative sector in an effort to discourage bureaucratic hurdles. “Trade finance facility did not exist between Pakistan and CARs as no branch of Pakistani bank had so far been opened there,” the minister added.
Appreciating the efforts of the RCCI president for organising the summit, he said collaboration between business institutions would help further enhance trade and business cooperation between Pakistan and CARs.
Speaking on the occasion, RCCI President Mian Humayun Parvez said the purpose of this summit was to explore the new trade avenues and to discuss trade aspects, finding the means of ease of doing business between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. He said that the conference would help business community identify existing trade issues, bottlenecks and barriers through the discussion over the topics of mutual interest and to facilitate bilateral trade among the region.
He said that Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian states could work together to improve the bilateral trade relations in the areas of energy cooperation, infrastructure and development of the region. There were opportunities of collaboration in scientific and technical fields, banking, information technology, pharmaceutical, gem and jewellery and tourism, he informed.
The representatives from Afghanistan and CARs, besides a large number of businessmen and traders, attended the daylong summit.
