The local business community in a meeting at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry showed great concerns over some efforts to create controversies about CPEC project and termed it an unwise approach as any disturbance to this historic project would prove a big setback to the economy.

 

Addressing the meeting, Khalid Iqbal Malik, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and China under CPEC would give boost especially to small and medium enterprises in Pakistan through joint ventures between the entrepreneurs of both countries. He said timely execution and completion of this project would also help modernize our SMEs through technology transfer and sharing of expertise. 

 

 He said after the signing of this game changer project, increasing number of foreign delegations were visiting our Chamber and showing keen interest for joint ventures and investment in this project. He cautioned that creating any doubts about this flagship project would discourage prospective investors and prove harmful for the country. He stressed that all stakeholders should keep the national interest supreme and avoid creating any unnecessary controversies about CPEC.

 

The businessmen were of the view that CPEC offered enormous opportunities for industry-led economic growth of Pakistan and government should give enhanced role to the private sector for its completion. They said CPEC was expected to open new doors of cooperation in multiple sectors including industry, agriculture, energy and infrastructure development between Pakistan and China as well as investors of other countries. 

 

They urged that complete consensus among all stakeholders was the need of the hour to turn this huge project into reality as it would ultimately fetch multiple benefits for our country in the form of improving Pakistan’s connectivity with China and other regional countries, uplifting people’s living standard, accelerating growth of SMEs and fostering our trade and economic cooperation.