Employers lay out solutions to economic ills

Emphasise better tax collection, labour productivity and regional trade.

KARACHI: The Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP) has suggested that better tax-to-gross domestic product ratio, labour productivity and regional trade could steer the country out of economic problems.

“Our proposals to the government and private sector are similar to what most chambers of commerce of Pakistan have been demanding in recent years,” EFP President Khawaja Muhammad Nauman told The Express Tribune. “We just want to emphasise those few important points where all of us want to see some positive change.”

Speaking at a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Monday, Nauman presented Pakistan National Business Agenda 2013 for the government and private sector, an effort aimed at identifying the problems and challenges to business growth, employment, revenue generation and productivity.

The proposed plan is part of the EFP’s advocacy campaign for creating an enabling and favourable environment for business growth and employment generation.



The agenda comprises issues and solutions to energy woes and suggests maintaining law and order throughout the country, eradicating corruption, recovery of economic growth, broadening taxpayer base, developing infrastructure and SMEs, enhancing labour productivity and promoting regional trade.

“We want to develop a strong liaison with the new political leadership to play an effective role in economic development, employment generation, building momentum for business activities and export enhancement. We intend to engage the government and help it achieve these objectives,” Nauman said.

He expressed the hope the new government would have better opportunity to identify and resolve social and economic issues collectively. There was no denying that the challenges that the government faced were huge, but given the need to resolve them, there was also a sense of collective commitment to do so, he said.

He pressed the government and private sector to create employment opportunities in different sectors to accommodate two million young people through improvement in security conditions and energy supply, development of infrastructure and better business environment on a priority basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2013.

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