Officials call for regular interaction between trade bodies and prime minister

Say this practice will aid in removing bureaucratic hurdles and sort out issues on an urgent basis

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) called upon the prime minister on Friday to conduct regular interactions with the leaders of trade bodies in order to address various problems faced by the business sector and take the required measures to resolve issues which would assist in revival of the economy.

ICCI President Ahmed Hassan Moughal remarked that previously, leaders of numerous emerging economies adopted this practice, which aided them in removing the bureaucratic red tape and sort out issues on an urgent basis that ultimately resulted in better economic growth.

He demanded the government to adopt a similar approach in order to steer the economy out of the prevailing challenges.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan has shown great urge to learn from the experience of Chinese and Malaysian leaderships to transform Pakistan's economy, which is laudable," he said. "The leadership of trade bodies and industrial associations are directly elected by the business community and they are well-versed in the problems being faced by the business sector."



He stressed that regular interaction of the prime minister with leaders of trade bodies and industrial associations would greatly help in removing bureaucratic hurdles and immediate redress of problems to put the economy on the path of sustainable growth.



Also speaking on the occasion, ICCI Senior Vice President Rafat Farid and Vice President Iftikhar Anwar Sethi added that the prime minister had constituted a 22-member Council of Business Leaders to suggest measures for boosting exports, increasing investment and improving Pakistan's ranking in ease of doing business. "More than 90% business enterprises in Pakistan belong to the SME sector," they said. "Chambers of commerce and sectoral associations are true representatives of SMEs."