Provincial Minister for Industries, Commerce and Investment, (IC&C), Shaikh Alauddin has suggested that the interests of local industrialists and traders must be protected while making the decision regarding China Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). He was addressing a seminar held to discuss the inclusion of new projects in CPEC and long term plan in this regard here on Tuesday. Punjab Secretary IC&C Dr. Mujtaba Piracha delivered a detailed presentation on the provincial framework on CPEC, mechanism for inclusion of new projects of Punjab, long term plan and way forward on the subject and sought proposals from the participants. Shaikh Alauddin said “A great responsibility lies on our shoulders as we are the decision makers about a big game changer so we must be aware that any wrong decision could cause our next generation to repent on what we did for them.” He said that after visiting a number of Chambers of Commerce & Industries it was known that the business community was already feeling disturbance on behalf of China’s imports to Pakistan as it was causing a grave set back to the local industry most of which was going to close. The minister said that under invoicing and hundi was also one of the major factors causing loss to the national exchequer. “If we want to save our industry from further decay, we should stress that all trade with China must be through banks and in my opinion, this is the only way to make our industry viable.”
