PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mohammad Ishaq has stressed the need for devising sustainable policies in consultation with business community and other stakeholders to revive the economy of the country.

Briefing members of a delegation of 35th Mid-career Management Course of National Institute of Management (NIM) Islamabad here at the chamber’s house on Wednesday, he said that joint exhibitions would be held in Central Asian Republics (CARs) shortly under a comprehensive plan to promote bilateral trade relations with those countries.

Seemi A Khan, a senior faculty member of NIM, headed the delegation.

Mr Ishaq underscored the need for framing sustainable policies in consultation with business community and other stakeholders to revive economy, industry, business and trade in the country.

“The economic future of the country is linked to trade with Central Asian Republics and African countries,” he said while responding to various queries made by the members of the delegation.

He briefed the delegation through his multi-media presentation regarding origin, history, importance, future plan and vision of the chamber and initiatives launched so far for promotion of business and industry.

Mr Ishaq said that SCCI 2.0 vision would be formally unveiled next month to upgrade the chamber as per modern needs through digitisation, capacity building, improving technical skills of workers and resolving the issues of traders through use of modern tools.

He appreciated the traders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for their resilience and continuing their businesses despite fragile security. He, however, added that businessmen were faced with enormous difficulties due to law and order situation as they received demands for extortion.

The SCCI chief said that they started gathering data and figures regarding industries, utilising rich natural resources like gas, mine, mineral, agriculture and marble through use of ‘geo-mapping’ and ‘geo tagging’.

SCCI senior vice-president Shahid Hussain, former president Faiz Mohammad Faizi, former vice-president Abdul Jalil Jan, executive members Laal Badshah, Manawar Khurshid, Hamza Ibrahim Butt, Kashif Amin, Naeem Qasmi, Minhajuddin, Waqar Ahmad, Mohammad Aurangzeb, Zahoor Khan, Rashid Iqbal Siddique, Ihsanullah, Fazal Wahid, Saddar Gul and Abidullah Yousafzai were present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2022