RAWALPINDI - All Pakistan Women Chambers Presidents’ Summit (APWCPS) has urged the government and planning ministry to share information regarding CPEC Phase-II, its objectives and benefits to the women chambers through presentation, briefing and seminars at the earliest.

Addressing press conference after APWCPS’ concluding session, President of Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) Malik Shahid Saleem said the government should facilitate the women chambers in all the national and international exhibitions and trade delegations through TDAP and other agencies.

Malik Shahid Saleem said that more than 11 presidents of women chambers from all over Pakistan, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Mardan, Quetta, Multan, Attock, Peshawar etc, attended the two days summit. The main purpose of this initiative was to provide women a platform to excel in the field of entrepreneurship, improve networking and consultation, he added.

While highlighting key points of joint declaration, RCCI President said government of Pakistan should introduce the financing facilities short term/long term loans at relaxed terms in the upcoming annual budget of 2019-20.

It was also proposed that government of Pakistan should direct the State Bank of Pakistan to disseminate the information among the women chambers about the new financial schemes for SMEs and women led businesses at villages including livestock and poultry farming.

Equal financial grants should be provided to the women in rural and urban areas by government of Pakistan including the grants under Export Development Fund (EDF) to sustain the women chambers, he added.

President Bhawalpur Women Chamber Afshan Saleem, Faisalabad Rubeena Amjad, Hazara Firdousia Afzal, Islamabad Rizwana Asif, Karachi South Shaiyanne Malik, Lahore Faaiza Amjad, Mardan Naeema Naz, Multan Seerat Fatima, Peshawar Azra jamshed and Quetta Division Saima Noreen, who participated in the two days summit, lauded RCCI’s efforts for providing a platform to raise their voices among the government ranks and provided an opportunity to address key issues linked with women entrepreneurship.

Joint declaration also urged government to provide a friendly business environment for women business entrepreneurs in the country. Representation of women entrepreneurs should be assured in the Prime Minister’s Business Council and government should relax the policies for making new women chambers all across Pakistan.

Malik Shahid Saleem also highlighted the key initiatives of RCCI in promoting business activities and entrepreneurship and said that Women Business Incubation Center (WBIC) is one of the examples.

Group leader, Sohail Altaf, senior vice president Muhammad Badar Haroon, vice president Fayyaz Qureshi, chairperson women committee Sadia Zia, female member of the executive committee and a large number of women entrepreneurs were also present on the occasion.