MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT SCCI

Mohammad Ishaq Butt.

I would like to congratulate the exporters who have been awarded the Best Export Trophy Award by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry in respective sectors. It is at excellent effort of FPCCI to give Awards to the best exporters. I must say that the exercise has been an encouraging factor to motivate the exporters to making unyielding efforts for promotion of exports.

The FPCCI has been playing an effective role in national building through economic devilment by providing useful information, effective guidance and futuristic vision to the business community. The consistent efforts of the Apex Chamber to bridge gap between the business community and the Government has helped the objective of business promotion.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry deserves full credit for its services towards economic growth of the country and its continuous efforts towards business promotion.

It has to be said that business prospects in country are not encouraging .Unprecedented electricity crisis has practically crippled the industrial wheel. It is not a temporary problem but has persisted for long and has been aggravated by inconsistent government policies .The previous regime failed to improve electricity generation to match demand and supply. It is high time that the government must tackle the situation through short term and long term measures to narrow the supply and demand gap, failing which the industry and business would be ruined.

It cannot be denied that the country needs aid but business and industry has to pay high price of the foreign aid. Harsh conditions are attached to the foreign aid to push the country towards further depression.

The conditions consist of raising taxes or monetary policy raising interest rates. Additional taxes have further made our export products uncompetitive, the situation that is frightening. The government must not let it be dictated by others and must not take business and industry opposing measures. Volatile law and order situation is gravely affecting social, political, economic and religious fabric of Pakistan. This unwanted state of affairs has given birth to uncertainty and frustration which are acting as blight in our society. No public place is secure, no religious institution is sacrosanct and no spiritual or political congregation is safe. Talented people are leaving the Land for good because their fate is in the doldrums due to uncertainty of business to survive and lack of jobs and insecurity to their life and property.

Thus menace of Brain Drain is continuously depriving the country of the intellectuals that are the true assets of the country to resolve its intricate problems. Business has suffered a lot, investment is not coming, industry is frail and the future looks bleak. The situation needs to be addressed through well planned and comprehensive strategy.

Due to high utility prices, and other factors the cost of production has also climbed. The export industry is badly affected as the soccer world cup orders have gone to China, causing irreparable loss to soccer industry of Sialkot. Soccer World cup has always been a booming time for this industry, which is now dreaming of export orders. The situation is precarious and demands attention of the government to ensure better supply of electricity and gas, reasonable mark up rates, satisfactory law & order, logical tax rates etc. We have to take our destiny in our own hands otherwise our present would remain doomed and future would be disastrous.

( Thanks fortnightly bulletin The Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry 23/2009 )