MULTAN, Feb 8th: Directorate General Trade Organisations (DGTO) Regulator Dr Waqar Ahmad Shah has said that Multan is a very important trade centre and it is a hub of Textile, Industry and agriculture. Since Global businesses are shifting to South Asia and Pakistan will survive in this changing environment only by virtue of its well regulated Chambers of Commerce and Industries (CCI) and Trade Organisations (TOs).Addressing a consultative session of capacity building of Secretaries General and office bearers of Trade Organisation in the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) today., he said that under comprehensive evaluation system, licences of the fake TOs are being cancelled. The objective of the session was to provide awareness about the licensing regulations by TOs. “At present, there are about 230 licensed CCIs and other TOs, out of which only 30% are complying with the rules and regulation . He said that National Assembly and Senate Committees on Commerce have directed him to compile comprehensive proposals to further improve the working of TOs,” he added.There is one central office of DGTO in Islamabad. However, Shah is of the opinion that there regional offices should open up to help monitor the region. “The economy of Pakistan could flourish if there were only 10 active Chambers like the MCCI,” he stated. Waqar Ahmad Shah expressed his dissatisfaction over poor performance of some licensed trade organisations regarding implementation of the regulator's provisions. "A number of trade organisations are involved in irregularities and violations of DGTO act ranging from fake documentations to election bargaining," he said, The event was primarily aimed at enhancing awareness among the legal trade bodies representing the business community engaged in trade, industry, and services sectors concerning improved regulatory compliance of the Trade Organisations Act and Rules, 2013. Waqar Shah said hardly 30 percent of the licensed organisations are complying with the DGTO rules, while the others are least bothered in this regard.Since the establishment of Directorate of DGTO, he said, some 232 trade organizations have been issued licenses by the regulator that include one license to Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), 59 licenses to other Chambers of Commerce and Industry, 17 to Women Chambers of Commerce and Industry, nine to Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry, seven to Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry, 130 licenses to associations, two to Small Associations while seven licenses were issued to the Town Associations. Secretary General of MCCI suggested that a help desk be established at central office to facilitate the needy people. MCCI President Muhammad Sarfraz stressed the need for digitalising DGTO’s system. “There should be a specific portal and all licensed organisations should upload their mandatory compliances through it.”He said that MCCI was facilitating other chambers of South Punjab and it was doing social services besides promoting the culture abnd literature of this area.He was of the view that trade organisation can play key role in strengthening the economy of the country. Ex-President of MCCI Khawaja Muhammad Yousaf suggested that a zonal office of DGTO must be established in Multan to look after and to redress the grievances of the trade organisations of South Punjab.He said that Directorate General of Trade Organisations should organise training workshop in October after completion of elections of trade organisation.The session was attended by President of MCCI Muhammad Sarfraz, Former President of FPCCI Mian Tanvir Ahmed Sheikh,Chairman of Alliance of Recognised Chambers and trade associations Khawaja Muhammad Yousaf, Vice President of MCCI Sheikh Muhammad Amjad , President of Dera Ghazi Khan Chamber of Commerce & Industry Khawaja Muhammad Younas, Ex-President of MCCI Farid Mughis Sheikh,Ex- Chairman of APBUMA Syed Muhammad Aasim Shah, Syed Muhammad Ahsan Shah,Women Chamber Bahawalpur's Jehan Ara Abbasi, Director TDAP Muhammad Khan, Aziz Ahmed Sheikh, Secretary General from Multan Khurram Javed Butt, PCPA's Adeel Syed, PCGA's Muhammad Asif Khalil, Khurshid Anwar(Vehari)Mujahid Malik (Dera Ghazi Khan), Usman Azhar(Rahimyar Khan), Asif Nasir (Khanewal)Agha Saeed Aftab (Women Chamber Multan) Imran Saeed of APDF, Dishad Ali(APBUMA) Rashid Gilani and Ismail Haider and others.
