By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE: Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, while addressing the business community at the FPCCI Regional Office, Lahore, stated that a nation’s economy cannot be driven by force but functions best through mutual trust, goodwill, and cooperation. He emphasized that the Pakistan Peoples Party and the business community have always maintained strong, constructive, and purposeful relations.
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He remarked that the proposals presented by the Federation of Chambers were highly valuable and assured that the Pakistan Peoples Party would extend full cooperation through its policy advisory boards.
Speaking on the GSP Plus status, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari highlighted that this policy had led to an 80% increase in Pakistan’s exports to Europe, while European exports to Pakistan rose by 60%. He expressed his desire to learn from the business community of Punjab, noted that historical narratives are often misrepresented, and welcomed the positive and practical suggestions of the business community.
He underscored the vital role of the business community in strengthening the national economy and recalled that the Pakistan Peoples Party laid the foundation of CPEC. He assured that his party would provide full support in addressing the issues faced by the business sector and noted that China is keen to promote Pakistani products in its markets.
Reaffirming his commitment, he said that the Pakistan Peoples Party would continue to play an active role in resolving the problems of traders. He added that, during his party’s tenure, significant opportunities were created to enhance exports.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed pride in working in close collaboration with China and stated that the Prime Minister is equally committed to resolving the challenges faced by the business community. He urged traders and industrialists to increase exports and stressed the collective need to expand Pakistan’s tax base.
He criticized the approach of previous governments that attempted to run the economy through coercion, reiterating that sustainable economic progress can only be achieved through cooperation. He also advocated that the responsibility for sales tax on goods should be devolved to the provinces.
He stated that if provincial targets are achieved, they would be prepared to transfer the funds to the federal government, enabling it to overcome its financial challenges. He emphasized that addressing federal economic difficulties is not the burden of any single province.
He noted that the country’s electricity challenges are longstanding and said that the Prime Minister and his team are making sincere efforts to achieve economic stability. He explained that while the Prime Minister believes in centralization, his party stands firmly for decentralization. He also highlighted the progress of the Khairpur Economic Zone.
He added that national challenges cannot be attributed solely to the IMF, acknowledging the difficulties in establishing economic zones, and expressed a commitment to work closely with the federal government to overcome these hurdles. He stressed that the Prime Minister’s genuine intent is to resolve the nation’s problems.
Further, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that public-private partnerships would help expand business activity in the provinces and that collaboration with the private sector would strengthen the economy. He emphasized the need to effectively utilize national resources to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh stated that the Federation is actively working on strengthening the district and sectoral economy. He stressed the urgent need to reduce electricity tariffs and interest rates to accelerate economic recovery.
Patron-in-Chief of UBG S.M. Tanveer, Vice President Zaki Ejaz, Senior Vice Chairman Momin Ali Malik, and other senior leaders also addressed the gathering.
The event was attended by Governor Punjab Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, FPCCI Vice President Abdul Momin, former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, Qasim Gilani, Haider Gilani, and other prominent personalities.
