While addressing the opening session of the two day International Business Conference and Exhibition (IBCE 2016) organized by University of Management and Technology (UMT), Minister for Planning Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal has said that Western route of CPEC will be completed by 2018. He also said that Gwadar-Quetta road will be completed by next month, ahead of its scheduled time.
UMT’s international business conference and exhibition is being organized to illustrate important sectors, which include clean energy, automobile, IT & telecom, textile, services, construction & housing, manufacturing, food & agriculture and fast-moving consumer goods.
Basic rationale behind holding of IBCE-2016 was to give a boost-up to Pakistan’s economy, highlight various dimensions of CPEC, widen Government’s linkages with overseas companies and business firms, bridge up the gap between academia and industry, set up a link between local and foreign companies, transfer latest technology and create opportunities for Pakistani youth .
More than 150 companies from China, Europe, Middle East, Korea, Malaysia, UAE and Turkey displayed their stalls in the exhibition to transfer latest technology and business ideas.
Ahsan also informed that work on Dera Ismail Khan-Quetta Road has also been initiated while the Dera Ismail Khan-Burhan Road will be completed by the year 2018.
Special attention has been given to Sindh and Balochistan in CPEC projects as the raw coal for the coal-run projects can easily be provided to plants in these two provinces, which will help to improve the life of common man in far flung areas.
He said that we are living in century of innovative ideas and witnessing unprecedented changes in every sector of modern times. Therefore, govt is paying special attention towards improving the skills of the students.
IInur Cevik, chief advisor to Turkish President, while addressing the conference said that Pakistan and Turkey share special ties based on brotherly relations rather than on any strategic interests.
Addressing the inaugural session, Dr. Hasan Sohaib Murad said that when we first took up the idea of organizing international business conference and exhibition, we were met with skepticism. Why a university would want to be involved in this? But the fact is that if we want to develop the economy with a knowledge focus and bring about a strategic transformation, then we need a platform that converge all key players – policy makers, businesses, civil society members, academia and Government etc. Events like the IBCE are ideally suited to ignite and inspire young minds.
The event was attended by provincial minister for industry Chaudhry Shafiq, Australian High Commissioner Margaret Admson, president Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Abdul Basit and Chief Executive Trade Development Authority S.M Munir.
