Staff Report
Islamabad:Nasir Mansoor Qureshi, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI), has said that Pakistan’s economic stability and growth hinge on bold structural reforms, empowerment of the private sector, and consistent, transparent policies to attract local and foreign investment.
Speaking as a guest on Freedom Gate Dialogues, the flagship podcast series of Freedom Gate Prosperity (FGP) hosted by Urooj Raza Sayyami, Qureshi shared his vision for strengthening the role of the business community in shaping Pakistan’s economic future. He emphasized that the private sector must be recognized as a key driver of job creation, industrial expansion, and innovation. Qureshi emphasised that industrial sector should be closely consulted while finalizing budget policies and besides, Government should facilitate business communities a way forward to invest in manufacturing.
Qureshi welcomed the government’s recently announced five-year tariff reform plan, terming it a “transformative initiative” with the potential to boost Pakistan’s exports by several billion dollars if implemented transparently and aligned with market needs. He also underlined the importance of simplifying regulations, easing business licensing processes, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles to improve the investment climate.
Highlighting the pivotal role of youth and small & medium enterprises (SMEs), he stressed the need for targeted support in skills development, technology adoption, and global market access to unlock Pakistan’s economic potential.
Qureshi congratulated Muhammad Anwar, CEO of FGP, and his team for launching Freedom Gate Dialogues. He expressed hope that the podcast would go a long way in raising awareness on critical economic and development issues and promoting informed public discourse. He also mentioned the MoU that the ICCI has signed with FGP to achieve shared goals around the economic empowerment and climate change resilience.
The episode also shed light on ICCI’s ongoing initiatives to foster public-private partnerships, improve industrial infrastructure, and ensure effective representation of the business community’s interests in policymaking.
