Rawal Shopping Festival attracting large crowds: RCCI chief

Rawalpindi
The residents of Rawalpindi are taking keen interest in the Rawal Shopping Festival as they are thronging markets in large numbers. said Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Syed Asad Mashadi.
In an interview with ‘The News’ on Wednesday, the RCCI president said that this is the first effort of the RCCI to generate positive activity in Rawalpindi. The next year they would make the Rawal Shopping Festival more attractive for the residents.
Syed Asad Mashadi said that in the beginning they got somewhat slow response from public as well as business community, but now people and businessmen have understood the concept of Rawal Shopping Festival and they were taking part in it wholeheartedly.
“We are getting such a tremendous response that the Rawal Shopping Festival is likely to be extended for one week,” he said.
He said that it is the responsibility of the RCCI to hold such activities in the city and the chamber is thankful to the traders of Rawalpindi for taking ownership of the Rawal Shopping Festival.
The RCCI president said that more events would take place in the Rawal Shopping Festival, including Fashion Show, Cycle Marathon and other activities, especially for children. “The RCCI is the only chamber, which arranges such types of programmes and visit other countries for exhibitions,” he added.
Talking about the energy crisis, the RCCI president said that if the government is working on generating more electricity and trying to end the crisis of loadshedding within three years then it should also work to generate business activities to increase production for export. He said there is a huge gap between imports and exports and there is a need to reduce this difference on urgent basis. “Industrialisation is the only solution to control unemployment, economic issues and law and order situation in the country,” he said.
The RCCI president thanked the commissioner, Rawalpindi Solid Waste Management Department and Rawalpindi Traffic Police for fully cooperating with traders in making the Rawal Shopping Festival a great success. “The government should encourage such activities all over the country,” he added.