Peace & enabling environment prerequisite for budding businesses: Shazia Marri

ISLAMABAD, Feb 16 (SABAH): Ms. Shazia Atta Marri, Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety (PA&SS) and Chairperson Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) said that youth is our most valuable asset that needs to be cultivated.

She expressed these views while talking to the audience at CEO Summit titled “Turn around Pakistan: Reshaping The Future of Pakistan”, in Islamabad on Thursday.

Shazia Marri further said that Pakistan is not short of talent; however, there is a need to provide platforms to all budding businesses in this country. She commended the role CEO Club has played in digitizing the country. The summit was attended by many distinguished guests, including ambassadors, businessmen/women, Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, who also spoke to the audience.

Ms. Shazia Marri said peaceful and enabling environment is a prerequisite for booming businesses. “However, unfortunately due to turmoil in Pakistan in recent years business community, particularly, the foreign investors have faced many hardships.  She noted continuity of democracy is imperative to solve the issues at hand. She, however, was optimistic that Pakistan will soon come out of troubling times and will be on tack to tranquility and prosperity. She added that there was a need to build narrative against disinformation being propagated against our country and the government needs to play the lead role towards building a progressive narrative. She seconded the opinion of Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal that foreign investment is directly linked with security situation of a country.

She informed the audience that Benazir Income Support Programme supported flood victims with cash money of Rs. 25000 per family. While addressing the business community, she urged them to join hand with Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in supporting 9 Million deserving families. She observed that through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) business community can extend its support to the deserving people of Pakistan through BISP.

While talking to media after the summit, she said Pakistan was handed over to current government in an economic crisis. She continued, that it was necessary to take difficult decision in order to save the country from default. However, she noted that incumbent government did everything in its power to avoid measure which directly impacted poor people in Pakistan.  She said political and economic stability go hand in hand.