LAHORE - The President, Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico has said that the Confederation will help expedite visa process for Pakistani businessmen in all the 27-member countries.
Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday. LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar presented Address of Welcome while FPCCI President Haji Fazal Kader Khan Sherani, Vice President CACCI Tariq Sayeed, Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce Iftikhar Ali Malik, former LCCI president Mian Muzaffar Ali and Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad and former Vice President Aftab Ahmad Vohra also spoke on the occasion.
Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico said that he understands that delayed issuance of visas to genuine businessmen is a hurdle to expand businesses. The president CACCI also invited Pakistani businessmen to participate in the international exhibition being arranged by the Confederation in Cebu, Philippines in March 2013 to have first hand knowledge about available business opportunities.
He said that Pakistani businessmen would be allowed to display their products at the said exhibition. He urged the Pakistan business community to become the life member of CACCI for a close coordination with counterparts in the 27 countries that are members of the Confederation. Talking about energy shortage in Pakistan, he called for adoption of short-term methodologies to overcome ongoing energy crisis. He said that though the short-term captive power solutions were not cost effective but it was better to have costly electricity than no power at all.
He said that Pakistan could produce electricity through Bagasse and Rice Husk.
He said that Pakistan`s sugar industry crushes 30- 40 million tons of sugarcane that yields about 12 million tons of sugarcane waste known as bagasse and it could produce over 2,000 MW of electricity.
He said that Regional trade integration is a major tool for socio-economic development of the region. The CACCI can play a crucial role in promoting greater coordination among chambers of commerce, business associations and enterprises in Asia and the Western Pacific, he added.
He stressed greater coordination among the business entities of the regional countries, which, he said, would help persuade the respective governments adopt business-friendly policies.
Ambassador Benedicto Yujuico said that business communities in Asian countries should cooperate with each other for strengthening their respective economies.
Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI President Farooq Iftikhar said that the regional economies needed to work in close coordination for the larger benefits of the people of this part of the world because the global economic conditions were becoming increasingly difficult day by day.