Minister for promoting business leaders

LAHORE : Punjab Minister for Industries and Commerce and Patron-in-Chief of United Business Group (UBG) SM Tanveer Sunday said the private sector is the backbone of the economy and there is a need to promote business leaders as role models to attract the youth towards entrepreneurship for the progress and prosperity of the country.

Talking to reporters after landing at the Allama Iqbal International airport, the minister said the UBG has secured landslide victory out of its unity and is all set to address key issues of the business community, besides striving for increasing exports and strengthening foreign exchange reserves.

He was welcomed by the members of LCCI and local trade bodies, including APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad, Senior Vice Chairman Asad Shafi, Executive Muhammad Ali, Energy Advisor Tahir Basharat Cheema and Secretary General Muhammad Raza Baqir and others at the airport.

The minister said the UBG has won the annual elections for 2024-2025 after four years with a comfortable margin. He said Ikram Sheikh of UBG was elected president as he defeated BMP candidate, while Saqib Fayyaz Magoon won the post of Senior Vice President by defeating Haji Ghani Usman.

He said overall, the joint candidates of UBG and BMPP won eight seats including President, Senior Vice President and Vice Presidents in the FPCCI elections.

The UBG leaders have termed the group’s election victory as the hard work of SM Tanveer, Zubair Tufail, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Ali Hussam Asghar and the entire team.

Meanwhile, addressing a dinner reception hosted by Atif Ikram Sheikh, former ICCI president and presidential candidate of UBG for FPCCI at his residence, the minister said the role of FPCCI is very important in promoting the private sector in the country and assisting the government in boosting exports, encouraging foreign investment, and stimulating economic activity, and UBG will strengthen FPCCI to play this role effectively.

He said the private sector is the backbone of the economy and there is a need to promote business leaders as role models in the country to attract youth towards entrepreneurship so that they could drive Pakistan towards progress and prosperity. According to him, the UBG has prepared a plan to address the key issues of the business community and steer the economy out of trouble.