ISLAMABAD, NOV 16 /DNA/ – Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) along with Naveed Malik, former Senior Vice President ICCI called on Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser and discussed with him the key issues of the business community as well as the overall economic situation of the country.

Addressing the ICCI delegation, Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that the business community is the backbone of the country’s economic development and all possible steps are being taken by the government to address their key issues. He called upon the business community to intensify efforts for further promoting the business and investment activities in the country.

Asad Qaiser informed the ICCI delegation that the Executive Committee of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the National Assembly was working to further promote bilateral trade between the two countries. He said that in order to increase regional trade, it was necessary to increase the liaison with the respective chambers of commerce and industry of these countries and ICCI should play its role in this regard. He suggested that a joint conference of the business community and investors of Pakistan and Afghanistan should be convened to explore new avenues of trade promotion between the two countries. He assured the ICCI delegation of his utmost cooperation in resolving the key issues of the business community.

Expressing his views on the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce apprised the Speaker National Assembly of the major issues being faced by the business community. He said that setting up of new industrial estate in the region was very important to boost the industrial activities, encourage new investments, create new jobs and improve the government’s tax revenue. He stressed that the government should take necessary steps to executive this important project in collaboration with ICCI.

Shakeel Munir lauded the investor-friendly policies of the current government and commended the role of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser in boosting Pak-Afghan trade relations. He also invited Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser to visit Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry for an interaction with the business community.