SCCI, EXIM Bank awareness session
President Junaid Altaf highlights KP export-oriented potentials, calls for removal of obstacles in export
PESHAWAR
Exporters and importers associated with diverse sectors highlighted bottlenecks, hindering export and stressed technical and financial assistance for product diversification, advancement, and meeting the global standards to enhance export throughout the world, besides industry, SMEs access to global market, international matchmaking and advisory.
Businessmen addressing during an awareness session organised by Export-Import Bank (EXIM-Bank) in collaboration with the chamber here on Tuesday underlined number of challenges and issues, calling for extending special concessions, financing for both small and medium and large-scale businesses and manufacturing units of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The session was chaired by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Junaid Altaf. Apart from the chamber senior vice president Muhammad Nadeem, member of the executive committee Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, WCCIP President Qurtul Ain, vice president Zareen Akhtar, TDAP Regional Director Nuaman Bashir, Rashid Iqbal Siddique, Secretary General SCCI Muqtasid Ahsan, a large number of exporters, importers and manufacturers were in attendance on the occasion.
President Junaid Altaf in his opening remarks comprehensively shed light on issues that were being faced by exporters and importers of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, mostly relating to operational and policy level, calling for access to finance through commercial banks, technical and financial support for upgradation, procurement of advanced machinery, training/awareness session.
SCCI chief mentioned the traders’ ordeals due to prolonged closure of the trade routes, describing the Torkham and other trade-routes were lifeline for the trading community as their businesses completely dependent on trade with regional countries.
Despite having immense potential, KP is lagging behind from other parts of the province, because this region exists at the tall end and due to being far away from seaport, the business community of this province is being faced with enormous challenges, President Junaid Altaf said.
The SCCI chief called for an uplift of the export-oriented industry as KP is blessed with abundant natural resources, and export potential like marble, honey, furniture, pharma, fruits, vegetables, halal meat etc.
He asserted fully capitalizing the KP potentials, especially export-oriented products of this province.
Earlier, the EXIM Bank CEO/President Shehbaz H. Syed who was accompanied by his team members including Regional Business Head Faiz M Salman, Head of the Operations Muzzammil Khan and RM Business Hamza Durrani, briefed the business community regarding key role and major working areas of the EXIM Bank, Export Finance Scheme and Credit Risk Sharing.
CEO Shehbaz stressed SCCI and EXIM Bank regular enjambments and coordination to address issues of exporters and importers of KP.
The SCCI chief offered the EXIM Bank to establish a special desk at the chamber house to facilitate the bank.
He also emphasized the need of building close liaison between the chamber and EXIM Bank to remove obstacles in the way of export and address the issues of the exporters and importers as well.
