SAPM said that the Prime Minister is keen to promote tourism in South Punjab by developing the places to attract the tourists. He announced to set up a tourism institute at Bahawalpur to promote tourism in South Punjab. Zulfi further said that overseas Pakistanis are interested in investing in the tourism sector in South Punjab. The government wants to work on tourism by involving global investors, especially overseas Pakistanis, through joint ventures. The private sector should focus on the hotel industry to promote tourism in South Punjab. The government is working on a long term policy to promote tourism across the country, especially in South Punjab. He elaborated on the steps taken by the government for the promotion of tourism.
Virtual Investment Conference jointly organised by USAID, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) and Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) is underway to identify opportunities and challenges for commercial and social investment in South Punjab. On the second day of the conference, investment and improvement opportunities were discussed in the textile and tourism sectors. Kanwal Bukhari hosted the virtual conference on the behalf of USAID. Punjab government representative disclosed that the provincial government is going to open an office of the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) in South Punjab, which would be activated soon.
USAID Representative Kanwal Bukhari informed the participants that Overseas Pakistanis and US Development Bank are keen to invest in the tourism sector of South Punjab.
Sheikh Ahsan Rasheed, Director, Board of Investment, Punjab and CEO, Hafeez Ghee & General Mills, Shama Banaspati & Cooking Oil, spoke in detail on the promotion of tourism in South Punjab.
Sheikh Ahsan Rashid said that there are many opportunities in the tourism sector. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Zulfi Bukhari briefed us on the government's long-term policies. The current government has completed half of its term. He demanded that the government should play a role in the development of the region by formulating a short term policy for the tourism sector. He added that the private sector in the region is ready to invest in the tourism sector. It is now the responsibility of the government to provide a conducive environment for this. There are also bright investment opportunities in the tourism sector for overseas Pakistanis and global investors. If the government takes steps, a boom can be seen in the tourism industry, Ahsan Rasheed added.
Ch.Ahsan Rashid pointed out that Multan is very important in terms of Hindu tourism. He said that Parhalad temple ,"Suraj Mandir" are in Multan has the status of sacred city in the Hindu community. These tourism sites are failing due to the government's negligence. He demanded that the restoration work of Suraj Mandir should be started for the promotion of religious tourism in South Punjab. He further said that Fort Monroe is Murree for South Punjab. The construction of a five-star hotel in Fort Monroe will boost tourism and the region.
He said that Multan is the center of Blue Pottery across the country. Central Asian countries have turned Blue Pottery into an industry, but unfortunately, no attention has been paid to the sector, which could attract special attention from tourists. Sheikh Ahsan Rasheed has demanded that the private sector be brought into the mainstream with regard to decision making.
In his closing address at the tourism session, Khawaja Muhammad Yousuf ex-President MCCI demanded of the SAPM to open a training institute on tourism at Bahauddin Zakariya University. Khawaja Yousuf thanked Sheikh Ahsan Rashid and Khawaja Anees for playing a key role in the development of South Punjab.
On behalf of MCCI in a session regarding textile, Khawaja Anees appreciated the initiatives taken by the government in the textile sector and welcomed the new textile policy issued by the government. He also expressed concern over the high cost of electricity and suggested measures for solar energy.
Asim Saeed Sheikh, a member of the Executive Body of the PCGA, in his address, highlighted the issue of alarming decline in cotton production. He said that there are ample investment opportunities in the textile sector of South Punjab. He demanded USAID to work and invest in specialized training, technology up-gradation, raw material and seed development in South Punjab for the betterment of the textile sector. He called on the government to take serious steps for cotton using the USAID platform.
Addressing the session, Deputy Secretary Agriculture Asif Raza briefed on the steps taken by government for cotton crop. Qamar Usman provided information regarding the special scheme of SBP. He said that on the instructions of the government, the SBP has been issuing a loan scheme of Rs 300 million to manufacturers and exporters since March. At a very low mark-up of 5%, 40% of the loan will be given to the textile industry.
Khawaja Muhammad Usman media coordinator of MCCI also presented some suggestions for improvement in the textile sector while Mian Shafi Anees Sheikh, Vice President, MCCI, thanked the organizers and participants for investing in South Punjab and holding the session.