Karachi: China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will be a milestone for Pakistan’s economy while transparency, clarity and synchronization on CPEC must be maintained to resolve the controversial issues and to develop national consensus on CPEC.
This was stated by Abdul Rauf Alam, President FPCCI in a meeting with Director General Planning Commission Gen. Zahir Shah and Member, Planning Commission Dr. Fahim who visited FPCCI Head Office, Karachi to meet the members of FPCCI’s Committee on CPEC. The meeting was attended by Sr. Vice President Khalid Tawab, Vice Presidents, Hanif Gohar, Arshad Farooq, Faisal Jamal Dashti, Zulfiqar Sheikh and Sultan Chawla, Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Zubair Tufail, Gulzar Firoz, Senator Abdul Haseeb, Arif Habib, Javed Ilyas, Rashid Abro, Tariq Haleem, Ikram Rajput, Mazhar Nasir, Munir Qureshi, Former Secretary Commerce, Prof. Dr. Ayub Mehar and others.
Rauf Alam said that the government should clear three hypothesis on the matter of route of CPEC, import of Chinese labour and material in the light of existing FTA and regional and global implications of this project. He referred the FPCCI’s Economic Vision 2025 and said that Pakistan has to maintain 7% growth rate to achieve economic targets and CPEC is one of important projects for the revival of our economy.
He further said that FPCCI suggests that the special economic zones on the sidelines of CPEC would be one of the tools for its success. However, the management of such economic zones should be awarded to private sector for fruitful results. He suggested that Planning Commission should organize brain storming sessions through Seminars, Workshops and Roundtable dialogues in all provinces with close collaboration of FPCCI as per the MOU signed between FPCCI and Planning Commission last year.
The members of the committee urged the government to reveal the policies, projects relating to CPEC to enable them to give their input in a right direction. They said that business community and general public have questions about the correct route of the road, material to be imported from China and labour as well and what will be the mechanism of special economic zones around the CPEC and industrial investment plan in these zones. The government should listen the small provinces and give them their due rights in CPEC, they added.
Rauf Alam further said that FPCCI will always support the government on CPEC for the sake of our country but the government should carefully move forward and share information with FPCCI so that a better consensus could be established on national level.
Director General Planning Commission, General Zahir Shah said that CPEC is a good opportunity for both China and Pakistan. The Chinese government is keen to complete this project in the set time frame. Dr. Fahim, Member Planning Commission said that CPEC is a mega project and what is to be done should be done rightly and in time. He said that we will establish working groups in next two weeks and a national level debate session on CPEC will be organized in the month of March so that all if and buts should be resolved. Zahir Shah assured that Planning Commission will continuously take FPCCI on board in every matter pertaining to CPEC.
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