LAHORE:- There is a dire need to take appropriate and immediate actions to improve air, sea and road links amongst the SAARC member states if deeper economic cooperation in South Asia was desirable. The was stated in Colombo Declaration of SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry which was presented by Secretary General SAARC CCI Muhammad Iqbal Tabish to Arjun Bahadur Thapa, Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, at SAARC Kathmandu on Monday. The declaration on tourism proposed setting up SAARC airline with direct flight operations from capital and commercial cities of South Asia in efficient and competitive manner, enabling the passengers to reach the desired destination in South Asia at the same day.–Staff Reporter
Secretary General SAARC CCI- Muhammad Iqbal Tabish briefed Secretary General SAARC about SAARCCCI activities undertook in the year 2014-2015 and shared activity plan for the 2016 which also includes the proposal to organize SAARC Business Leaders Conclave as a pre-cursor to the 19th SAARC Summit, which is likely to take place in the 2nd/3rd week of November 2016 in Islamabad.
Commenting on the declaration on tourism, Saarc CCI vice president Iftikhar Malik said that the Action Plan 2016 also suggests launching of SAARC CEOs/Entrepreneurs’ Forum, the proposal of which has been forwarded by Finance Minister’s moot to upcoming SAFTA Ministerial Meeting, which schedules in Kabul in March 2016 for endorsement by Commerce Ministers. He said that construction work of SAARC CCI Secretariat Building project at Islamabad has already been initiated, the completion of which is expected in two year time.