Islamabad: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) and the National Productivity Organization (NPO) have discussed to collaborate for improving the efficiency and productivity of private sector enterprises and resolved to work together towards the productivity improvements in the agricultural sector.
During a visit to ICCI, Dr. Sher Muhammad, Chief Executive Officer, NPO said that his organization is working to make Pakistan’s economy more productive and competitive by enhancing the industrial productivity through various initiatives.
He said NPO is now also focusing on enhancing the productivity of agriculture sector and promote organic farming as Pakistan has huge potential to improve per acre yield of various agricultural products.
The country has potential to ensure food security by bringing uncultivated land into cultivation as the 90 percent of cultivable land in Baluchistan, 40 percent in Sindh, 20 percent in KPK and 25 percent in Punjab is still lying uncultivated.
He said NPO is also interested to collaborate with ICCI for promoting the women entrepreneurship through their skills development and capacity building initiatives.
Speaking at the occasion, Shaban Khalid, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said many sectors of Pakistan’s economy have great potential to grow and for NPO, working with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of the country, is the right link to assess the industry’s specific needs to make its initiatives more relevant, need based and conclusive.
He said ICCI plans to establish an Incubation Centre to promote the promising entrepreneurs. The facility will also provide training and skills development to meet the needs of SMEs as well as the local industry and desired that NPO should cooperate with ICCI in these ventures.
Shaban Khalid said that the country claims to be an agrarian economy and yet we lack the focus and resource mobilization towards the productivity and yield enhancement of the sector that employs more than 44% labor force. He said there is a need for more research and indigenous production of seeds in order to improve the agricultural productivity.
NPO and ICCI should play their role in working towards improving the country’s economy and introducing more efficient and improved processes, including those in the agriculture sector. The two organisations should also join hands to work in rural areas for women empowerment. He said ICCI had signed a MoU with NPO that needs to be revisited to include more areas of cooperation.
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