RCCI opens 3rd APWCPS

RAWALPINDI, DEC 02 (DMN) - RCCI opens 3rd APWCPS. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari has said tourism share in Pakistan Gross Development Product (GDP) is 2.8 percent whereas World's Average share is 10 percent.

The Government is working extensively to raise its share to 7 percent in next four to six years. He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of All Pakistan Women Chambers Presidents’ Summit at a local hotel in Rawalpindi. The Summit was organized by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

He invited the private sector to take the lead in promoting the country's tourism across the world and added that restructuring is going on in Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) to promote Pakistan tourism as a global brand.

He said the process was underway to finalize name of the brand in order to ensure its distinctive feature from other competitors, and we have established one calendar for the year. Under the new program the private sector will be given permission to build tourist resorts.

The government is working to develop Buddhist trail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Azad Jammu Kashmir to attract Buddhism Pilgrims from across the world.

 Pakistan ranked number one in Islamic Countries where we have highest number of Churches. His ministry also working to renovate and refurbishes Churches, he added.

He said that manpower department has been revitalized and this year we have exported 600,000 skilled workers as compare to last year 390,000.

Next year government will launch Overseas Business Council and asked RCCI and chambers to join hands to make the event successful. On women entrepreneurship he added that government especially his ministry is working on a comprehensive policy to exports trained nurses.

We’ve already sent our first batch of 200 workers to Romania and increased our quota with South Korea by 20 percent.

There is a demand for 3,000 nurses from the UK for which “we are working with the National Health Service (NHS) to open up institutions to train nurses, teach them English, and send them abroad to avail this offer.

He said that government is also working on reviving Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and vowed to increase the pension by two and a half times within four years and it was committed that by 2023 the pension amount will be raised to 15000 from 6500.

Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Social Protection and Chair of the Benazir Income Support Program& PM coordinator on Ehsaas program in her address appreciated RCCI efforts for organizing the event and said that Government is working on multiple strategies including uplift of informal trade to bring them under the umbrella of EOBI. For undergraduate program the stipend has been increased for girls to 1050 from 750.

She also sought help from Chambers to established Women Business Incubation Centers across all chambers.

Earlier President RCCI Saboor Malik in his welcome address said that main purpose of this initiative was to provide women a platform to excel in the field of entrepreneurship, improve networking and consultation.  a platform to excel in the field of entrepreneurship. Also, to discussed issues and policy reforms so that they can get their due recognition in economy.

 He said more than 11 presidents of women chambers from all over Pakistan, Lahore Karachi, Mardan, Quetta, Multan, Bahwalpur, Peshawar, Islamabad etc are attending the two days summit.=DMN

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