RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry is going to organise a three-day All Pakistan Chambers Presidents Conference International (APCPCI) on March 11-14 at Gwadar to discuss the business opportunities China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will offer in future.

Addressing a press conference, RCCI President Zahid Latif Khan said that RCCI had been organising this event for the last nine years on regular basis but this time, we picked Gwadar as event venue so that business community could see development on the ground.

“The major aim of this conference was to develop a common platform for All Chambers and Trade Associations to raise economic issues at national level, providing suggestions or recommendation to the government related to trade policy, business environment and all issues affecting businesses directly or indirectly,” he added.

Mr. Khan said that All Pakistan Chambers Presidents Conference was the most appropriate platform to raise economic issues and talk about the business community’s concerns.

He said the proposed agenda for the upcoming conference included China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and its possible impacts on inter and intra regional trade, connectivity and regional trade integration, trade and investment opportunities in Pakistan, inter-regional trade barriers (tariff and non-tarif barriers) and settlement of international trade disputes.

Answering a question related to CPEC, he said: “No doubt it’s a game changer and it’s our collective responsibility to make it a successful national project. We will spend a full day to discuss CPEC, possible investment and joint ventures with Chinese Companies, expansion of industrial zones and infrastructure development and transportation.”

He referred to a research report which said if China proceeded with just 5pc of its trade through CPEC, this will give roughly $6 billion income annually to Pakistan along with 400,000 employment opportunities.

The RCCI chief said they had invited representatives of chamber of commerce of neighbouring countries including China to discuss possible trade and investment opportunities.

“Economic performance, foreign borrowings, circular debt, trade deficit, fiscal budget and trade policy will also be discussed during the conference,” he said.

President Gwadar Chamber of Commerce Mir Naveed Baloch also attended the briefing and on this occasion RCCI signed an MoU with Gwadar Chamber.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2018