President Alvi stresses product diversification, branding to boost exports

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said on Monday that it was about time for Pakistani products to make an impact with high-quality standards coupled with credible and trusted business dealings at the international level.

“Turn the ‘Made-in-Pakistan’ label into a symbol of repute before the world,” the president remarked during his address to an award ceremony held by the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FCCI) at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

President Alvi emphasised on conforming to the noble ethics of Islam such as honesty by shunning deception while undertaking business transactions.

He also called upon the businessmen to focus on value-addition, diversification and proper branding of their products to boost exports and compete in the international market.

He said adoption of business mechanisms based on information technology could help the local traders address the challenges of the contemporary financial world.

The president expressed satisfaction that FCCI, as a dynamic organisation, was contributing to the economy of the country and termed the traders and businessmen the genuine stakeholders that needed to be taken on board by the governments in decision-making.

The president lauded the government for holding consultations with relevant stakeholders while remaining accessible to the business community to listen to their grievances.

Speaking on the occasion, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal said giving confidence to industrial units was important to boost the country’s economy.

He mentioned that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was the only political party which promoted Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to facilitate traders and announced the setting up an SEZ on Information Technology (IT) and 23 new cement plants to boost trade activity.

FCCI President Rana Muhammad Sikandar-e-Azam said that Faisalabad’s share in the country’s textiles comprised 60 per cent, while the industrial city made 20pc of the overall Gross Domestic Province (GDP).

He lauded the government’s strategy to effectively address economic challenges in the wake of Covid-19.

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