President Urges Business Community To Adopt Digital Tools For Business Expansion; Contribute To Flood Relief Works

President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the business community, especially the small traders and industries, to adopt the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to expand their businesses and bring value addition to their products

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Aug, 2022 ) :President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday urged the business community, especially the small traders and industries, to adopt the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools to expand their businesses and bring value addition to their products.

He, addressing the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries (ICST&SI) Achievement Awards distribution ceremony, also asked the business community to explore new markets to expand exports and overcome the current economic difficulties being faced by the country.

Referring to the current flood situation pervading the country urged the business community to contribute generously to the flood relief efforts and support the flood distressed countrymen.

The president emphasised the need to invest in the human resources of the country, saying that upskilling our youth bulge and women population in different sectors of the economy, especially the IT sector, could help Pakistan achieve fast-paced growth in the short term.

He said that Pakistan should focus on the development of a knowledge-based economy and equipping its enormous human resources with soft and latest technical skills to put the country on a path of progress.

He advised the business community to base their business and trade upon ethical values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, quality, trust and respect and customer satisfaction to consolidate their position in the market in a sustained manner.

President Alvi said that new markets could be captured by maintaining the quality of goods and services to gain the trust, confidence and loyalty of customers and fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities.

He called upon the chambers of commerce to motivate their members to organize trade fairs and exhibitions of their products and services in the country as well as abroad, besides using online marketing facilities to substantially increase their customer base and expand their businesses.

Highlighting the importance of exports in bridging the current account deficit, he said that the country needed to bring about a paradigm shift in the pace of its economic progress.

Therefore, he called upon the chambers of commerce and industry to further consolidate their efforts to increase their production without compromising the quality, promoting tax culture, and expanding their memberships to bring more businesses in their purview.

The president highlighted that the decision-makers should take timely decisions through a consultative process to increase the country's productivity and to remain competitive in the local and international markets.

He called upon the members of the business community to market their products internationally while maintaining globally accepted ethical values, environmental, hygiene, health and safety standards.

The president said that it was the government's responsibility to take stock of the proposals of the business community and through consultation and negotiations and providing due concessions to the business community to improve the ease of doing business.

He added that it would not only improve their businesses but would also increase employment opportunities in the country.

While highlighting the importance of trade, he said that trade was a noble profession and had been practised by the messengers of Allah, including our Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).

He added that islam spread in most parts of the world not by the power of the sword by due to the fair, just, honest and truthful conduct of Muslim traders.

The president also called upon the business community to increase the participation of women in businesses and industry by providing them with a safe, secure and harassment-free working environment and facilitating them at the workplace.

He said that barring women from socio-economic activities had no religious basis rather it was based on cultural and human biases embedded in our culture and society.

He said that such beliefs needed to be discouraged as Hazrat Khadeeja (RA) was a businesswoman who used to participate in business activities and actively managed her business enterprises.

The president said that cultural and structural hindrances against women's inclusion should be removed by educating the people, and taking affirmative action in different sectors, including business, trade, investment and manufacturing.

Earlier, the representatives of the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries thanked the president for his continuous patronage and encouragement and said that the purpose of these awards was to recognize and honour the dedicated businesspersons for their contributions to the socio-economic development of the country.

It was highlighted that ICST&SI was providing guidance and counselling to entrepreneurial youth and had imparted trainings to youth in e-commerce and digital marketing, besides signing MOUs for cooperation with emerging start ups.

President ICST&SI Muhammad Zahid, and members of the business community attended the event.