PESHAWAR, Oct 07 :A delegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce Haji Ghulam Ali on Wednesday visited Abbotabad, Haripur chamber and Hittar Industrial Estate Association and congratulated the newly elected members of their cabinets.

The delegation included FPCCI vice president and in-charge capital office Qaiser Khan Daudzai, former vice president and former MPA Fazal Elahi and President Mohmand Chamber of Commerce Arbab Muhammad Farooq Jan besides other members.Addressing a reception, Vice President Saarc Chamber of Commerce Haji Ghulam Ali and others underlined the need for the government totake tangible measures for resolving problems being faced by the traders’community. They said prices of gas and electricity were increased with each passing day which added to woes for the trade and commerce sector.

They were of the view that loadshedding had badly impacted the industrial sector like other departments and added that smooth power supply should be ensured for better output of the sector.He said that the industrial sector also suffered due to the coronavirus pandemic and the government needed to facilitate and support the traders and industrialists.They also appreciated the role of the FPCCI president MianIftikhar Nisar and his cabinet, saying they performed well despite Covid 19 situation. They recalled that the 14 percent interest rate was strongly opposed and a struggle was launched in this regard.

The government was told that that wheel of the country’s Industry could not be kept moving with such a high interest rate at 14 percent.They said that the interest rate in neighboring countries was lower as compared to Pakistan, as result the country’s industry could not progress. Owing to such efforts of the FPCCI, after all the government realized the reality and now the interest rate stands at 7 percent.They said that the Businessmen Panel would continue to struggle to get the interest rate further down and as result the trade and commerce would progress, they added.In this regard, they said that cooperation of chambers and associations was vital. They said that in the past people would spend millions of rupees on hoteling and foreign visits out of FPCCI funds, but this year President FPCCI and his cabinet had made a history by spending not a single penny out of the FPCCI funds.The FPCCI also provided contributions towards Covid-19 fund sand decreased annual charges of chambers and associations by 20 percent.