KARACHI - Pakistan got presidentship of ECO Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ECO CCI) for next three years from Iran which held the position for last three years.
President FPCCI Zakaria Usman was handed over the charge here on Saturday by the President of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA) at a ceremony.
Zakaria Usman, at his first media briefing as ECO CCI President, emphasised that ECO member countries should soon sign and implement free trade agreement (FTA) and seriously work on issuance of single visa for ECO region at least for the business communities. He said the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) is an economic block of ten countries namely Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Azarbaijan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkemenistan and Uzbekistan. ECO covers six percent of the total population of the world and 26 percent of the Muslims population. ECO has around $ 4000 per capita income and is rich in natural resources. The ECO CCI was formed by the national chambers of three founding members of ECO — Pakistan, Turkey and Iran- in 1990, he said. He informed that ECO CCI secretariat has been set up at the Federation House, Headquarters of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI). FPCCI President also holds the presidentship D-8 countries chamber of commerce and industry, with headquarters at the Federation House, he said. Pakistan is also honoured to have permanent headquarters of Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in Karachi, he said. The new ECO CCI chief said that his top priority would be to increase the interaction among the people of the member countries including B to B meetings and holding of seminars and conferences to highlight the potential trade and investment opportunities existing in ECO region for the mutual benefits.
He informed that over last couple of years a series of seminars and group discussions among 55 delegates of ECO member countries were held. As a result of these deliberations, working papers were prepared for various economic sectors.
He said the meetings of ECO CCI will be held in all ECO member countries turn by turn.
Other major initiative to be taken at the earliest is ECO train service from Islamabad up to Istanbul via Balochistan.
This project was conceived and discussed during the last government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) but was not materialised.
He also suggested that cargo trains should start either from Karachi or Lahore instead of Islamabad. That, the cargo fare should also be subsidised and be put lower than that of shipping lines.
He said for taking due share in ECO market Pakistan would have to develop its packaging industry.
The President ECO CCI said that this platform will also help Pakistan in getting the benefit of GSP-plus.
FPCCI’s Senior Vice President Shaukat Ahmed, Vice Presidents Ismail Suttar, Khurram Sayeed, FPCCI Secretary General, M.A. Lodhi and Director General Research Wing of FPCCI, Dr. Ayub Mehar were also present.