ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari on Wednesday urged the government to urgently privatize all loss-making SOEs, including PIA, Pakistan Railways, and Pakistan Steel Mills to reduce its fiscal deficit.
Bakhtawari, while leading a delegation, met with the Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, Irfan Siddiqui, and presented some proposals and discussed with him the contours of a future economic policy for the country.
Addressing the delegation, Irfan Siddiqui said that the business community was the major stakeholder in the development of the economy, and he would raise their key problems at every relevant forum for their redressal. He welcomed the proposals presented by the delegation for future economic policy, promoting entrepreneurship among the new generations to make them skilled and professional.
He assured that the proposals would be discussed in the committee meetings so that they could be considered for implementation. He also commended the suggestions of the delegation to make the manifesto of PML-N business-friendly and assured that if the party comes to power, it will take steps to facilitate them in business development.
ICCI for Privatization of Loss-making SOEs
Speaking on the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari demanded that the government urgently privatize all loss-making SOEs, including PIA, Pakistan Railways, and Pakistan Steel Mills, to reduce its fiscal deficit.
He proposed that the government should work to set up a common market of OIC, SAARC, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to promote regional trade. He said that youth were the future of Pakistan, so it was important to adapt the curriculum according to the needs of the current age to prepare skilled and professional youth.
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Bakhtawari added that it would improve their employ ability, promote business activities, and put the economy on the track of sustainable development.
He said that most of the students joining organizations were found deficient in practical work; the university students should be bound to work as interns in the industries in the last year of their education program to gain practical experience and play an active role in the development of the industrial sector.
