Faisalabad Chamber to work for welfare of poor

It makes city’s social uplift one of the top priorities

FAISALABAD: The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) has announced a scheme for the social welfare of poor people of the city.

The chamber has initially donated Rs1.2 million for the purpose and asked people to pinpoint those who deserve assistance. In addition to this, Rs1 million has been donated to flood victims besides food and winter clothes.

Speaking at a news conference here on Tuesday, FCCI President Mian Zahid Aslam said the social uplift of Faisalabad was one of the top priorities on his agenda and the chamber took the start by announcing a scholarship programme for the poor.

Applications will be processed by a committee of the chamber and necessary amount will be released immediately.

Discussing the challenges faced by the business community, he pointed to the problems of security, shortage of gas and electricity and high tariff of utilities. “These are hampering not only the productivity of business, but also the country’s exports,” he said.

“We have declared 2012 the ‘Energy Year’ and hydropower is the only solution to keeping the product cost competitive. We will organise an energy conference on construction of large dams including Kalabagh.”

Faisalabad, he said, was the biggest centre of textiles, which was the lifeline of the national economy. “Nearly 60% of national revenue and 40% of employment are supported by the textile industry. This sector needs immediate attention for the country’s betterment and economic stability.”

He declared that he would try to remove the hurdles in the way of other sectors as well including chemicals, services and retail business.

Aslam expressed the hope that he would be able to drum up support of other regional and national chambers of commerce and industry in an effort to make combined efforts for the betterment of business, trade and industry and the economy. With concerned efforts, greater success could be achieved in the region as well as the country.

He stressed that the problems confronted by the country were not insurmountable, but required concerted and joint efforts as well as a correct approach to resolve the issues.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2012.