BHURBAN, Feb 26: Representatives of the business community from all over the country here on Tuesday rejected the Trade Organisation Bill 2013 and demanded that the government should take them on board before enacting a national trade policy.

The business community representatives were speaking at a conference organised by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here.

Presidents of 25 different chambers of commerce and industry, including Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Quetta, KP and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) participated in the conference.

Manzar Khurshid, the president of the RCCI, told newsmen that the bill had been passed by the government in order to divide trade associations for political purposes. The bill, he added, envisaged creation of more chambers in each district. He said the creation of parallel chambers would definitely divide the traders which would be exploited by the government for its own political interests.

Currently, there exists only one chamber of commerce and industry in each district. “From a manufacturer to a shopkeeper and fruit seller, every trader is member of the chamber. Then why the government wants to establish more such forums? Certainly the government wants to create divisions among the traders,” he said.

The representatives from all the chambers said in the upcoming elections the business community would support the political party which would portray a national economic agenda to eliminate unemployment and poverty in the country.

“The business community would act like a pressure group and will strive for having a say in legislation and governance for the betterment of the country. We will no more act like a silent spectator but would pressure the government in decision-making process,” said Asad Mushadi, a former president of the RCCI.

While talking about economic reforms, the speakers said the government should adopt a long-term economic policy. They expressed concerns over mounting corruption in different national institutions and federations including PIA, Railways, Wapda, Steel Mills, Utility Stores and the NHA.

They said the government should cut the size of its cabinet to achieve the targets of good governance, adding state-owned enterprises should be headed by competent professionals, not by politically-picked people.

At the end of the two-day conference, the business community announced a nine-point Bhurban declaration regarding national economic reforms. According to the declaration, all political parties should highlight their economic plans in their election manifestos.

“The government should manage constitutional protection to long-term economic policies while business community should be consulted before approval of any economic reform or policy,” the declaration stated.