Karachi: Chairperson of Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) Sindh Chapter, Shabnum Zafar has said that our commitment and mission is to solve the problems of the business community as well as the unity and solidarity of the community, we are not fighting for personal interest but for the interest of the business community.
Addressing the members business community in Karachi on Wednesday in local hotel, Shabnam Zafar said that upcoming programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) could not be used as an excuse to retard the country’s economic growth.
PBf chairperson sindh reiterated that we must understand thatthe country could not survive without another IMF programme. At the same time, she said it should be clear that the country should also prioritise and target economic growth, provide employment and reduce inflation.
“If there is an IMF programme, who stopped you from doubling agriculture output? from increasing traditional and non-traditional exports?”
She said IMF programme and economic growth can exist together. We understand there will be definitely some limitations to an IMF programme but we cannot make the excuse of the IMF in regard to not advancing the areas that are in our control.
On this occasion, PBF President Karachi, Malik Khuda Baksh, said that solid development schemes for Karachi should be announced in the federal budget m, so that the city can get international-style infrastructure. “I will raise the problems facing Karachi with the Sindh government and the Mayor of Karachi”. The time has come for Karachi to develop, only then the business community here will be able to play its national role in a better way.
khuda Baksh also said the government is responsible for playing the role of a “catalyst” and for providing an “enabling environment” to the private sector.
“The government has to work with us to solve our issues to stop delays and inefficiencies and create enabling circumstances through which private sector can work hard to bring economic growth in a quick manner,” he said.
A nation’s voice is strong when its economy is strong. If the economy is weak, then no one listens to the voice of the weak. Now is the chance that everyone collectively accepts these challenges and moves towards a solution.
PBF Karachi President said if we want to get rid of debt and live a respectable life, the only way is that we collectively work hard for industrial and export-led growth.
He also elaborated that there is a need to plug leakages through end-to-end digitalisation, adding that there was huge room for improvement in terms of operational effectiveness going forward as government has the job of providing the policy framework and providing policy continuity.
