Minister urges businessmen to support pro-industry policies

Karachi: Karachi: Federal Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr. Asim Hussain has said that the business community must take ownership of the future of the country by supporting policies that are conducive to industrial growth.

During a visit to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Head Office in Karachi on Saturday, he said that government complete their tenure and leave, but the business community must ensure that policies that are essential for industry remain in place, by lobbying with the government of the time for their interests.

In his address to the business community, Dr. Hussain conceded that the business community was functioning under very troubled circumstances. At the same time, he urged the business community to assume a more proactive role in assuming ownership of government policy. He agreed that OGRA and Explosives should lie with the Ministry of Petroleum, and asked the business community to support this demand.

With regard to progress on the Iran Pakistan pipeline, he acknowledged delay in the pace with which the project was proceeding, but asked the business community to exercise patience, given the sensitivity of issue.

Hussain agreed that there existed ambiguity with regard to the ownership of resources under the Eighteenth Amendment and stressed that they must be removed. Similarly, he agreed that a coherent policy on LPG was needed for Pakistan. He also expressed the need for alternative energy to be placed under his Ministry, as was standard in other countries, such as India.

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