President calls for collective efforts to address social, economic challenges
Pakistan
President calls for collective efforts to address social, economic challenges
ISLAMABAD (APP) – President Dr Arif Alvi stressed the imperative need for collective efforts from all stakeholders to tackle the chronic social and economic challenges confronting the nation.
The president called upon the private sector, including industrialists and traders, to step up and share the responsibility of uplifting the downtrodden strata of society and aiding in resolving the grave issue of approximately 28 million out-of-school children.
President Alvi delivered this message during his address at the 14th Achievement Recognition ceremony of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.
The president urged industrialists and the more affluent segments of society to play an active role, as the country desperately required their support.
He accentuated the importance of providing education and healthcare facilities to vulnerable members of society, ensuring that they have equal opportunities, in line with global models.
Citing Islamic history, he stressed the need for 'forgiveness' in society and noted that different political parties were advocating for a level-playing field in the upcoming elections.
Regarding the situation in Gaza, the President condemned the Israeli aggression, referring to it as a manifestation of "barbarity and cruelty" and noting that a significant number of Palestinians, including many children and women, had lost their lives in the ongoing conflict.
Addressing the issue of out-of-school children, President Alvi expressed his deep concern and stressed the need for collective efforts due to the magnitude of the task at hand. He stressed the need to focus on harnessing the vast human resource potential in the country by providing proper education and skillsets, rather than exporting them abroad as mere manpower.
He underscored the importance of educating these out-of-school children and equipping them with skills for the future of the country, emphasising that as a nation, setting and pursuing priorities in the economic and social sectors would make the country stronger.
President Alvi also commended the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), highlighting the necessity of such initiatives to stabilize the country's economy by attracting and expediting foreign investment, thus enhancing the ease of doing business in the country.
He pointed out the positive impact of recent crackdowns on illegal smuggling on the local industry and emphasised the need to maintain such policies.
The president also discussed the significance of pricing water for domestic and agricultural use to control wastage.
Earlier, President LCCI Kashif Anwar underscored the importance of addressing issues such as inflation, the lack of skilled manpower, the weakening of the local currency against the dollar, broadening the tax base, reducing the cost of doing business to boost exports, and increasing local and foreign investment.
During the event, President Alvi presented shields to top-performing industrialists, traders and exporters, recognising their contributions to the country's economy.
