LAHORE - The Pak-India trade Promotion Committee Convener and Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry former Vice President Aftab Ahmad Vohra has asked the government to ensure presentation of business community in the newly-announced Pakistan Land Port Authority (PLPA) on the patron of Karachi Port Trust, which also includes members from Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said that government deserves appreciation as decision would help increase volume of trade flows across land borders.
He said that private sector representation at Federal and Provincial levels would ensure implementation of decisions in letter and spirit, therefore at least 50 per cent members should be taken from the private sector. He hailed government decision to establish PLPA and demand of the government to give proper representation to private sector in authority.
He said that it is good sign that the government has accepted Lahore Chamber demand for establishment of such an authority at land borders in order to transform our land ports into efficient facilitators of trade while simultaneously being responsive to security issues and smuggling, human.
He said that since the very birth of country, economy has never been a priority and all economic issues were always put on back burner but now is the time to adopt a realistic approach as world has become a global village.
He said that apparently strategic framework is very attractive but since government has not given any framework for the provision of electricity and gas to the industry, it would be very difficult even to achieve the existing economic targets.
He said that laws need to be introduced to ensure continuity in policies because every now and then policies are changed without giving a single thought to their ramifications.
He said that it is a proven fact that government can never do business and its prime task is to govern the country therefore, it should formulate all economic policies in consultation with private sector that is the real stakeholder.
He said that government should come up with some solid methodology to overcome law and order situation in Karachi that is route cause of a number of economic issues being faced by the business community but unfortunately, people sitting at the helm of affairs have ignored the ground realities for the whims and wishes of their masters.