Special Interview: Mr. Jawed Bilwani
Senior Vice President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry
By Mawaiz Khan Akash
Introduce yourself including your education, brought and achievements.
Ans: My Name is Jawed Bilwani and I born in Karachi. I got primary and secondary education from Mumbai Brotherhood School. I passed my Higher Secondary School examination from St. Patrick, graduation from Islamia College and L.L.B from Islamia Law College. After completing my education I attached to my family business. My family is in the industry & trade from the very beginning. My father had a great name and respect in Yarn business in Pakistan. He introduced polyester yarn and Nylon yarn in Pakistan. He was the first exporter of Polyester yarn and Nylon yarn in Pakistan. He dealt in business honestly and urged us to do so. He forbade me to turn back from my promise instead of going in loss. I think this the secret of my successful life. While starting my career in business, firstly I stood by my father in business then I accommodated in our Dying Finishing factory and gained too much experience from there. In this continuation I constituted Knitting and Hosiery Dying Unit. I exported fabrics and garments to many countries. This is what I have a simple introduction and by the grace of Allah I have a great name in the market.
BM. How do you cope with the responsibilities being a Vice President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry?
Ans: Actually I made a program in my schedule to denote three hours to Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry. I look deeply into the problems and issues facing the business community not only in Karachi but also in Pakistan. One pleasuring fact is that I have maintained separate file of problems of business community pertaining either of trade, commerce and Industry or of Govt. and semi Govt. Then with the help of that file I easily identify their problems and solve them in my first priority.
BM. What are the key points you have in your mind on these biases you want to develop the business community Karachi?
Ans: I am not focusing just in Karachi, first comes Pakistan and then its parts. Being a Pakistani it becomes obligatory for every individual to develop this country on strong foundations. Unfortunately, our youth, which qualified from this homeland, don't have access to the required job in Pakistan and then they fly to other countries while tracing out their jobs. As a result they get benefit form their credentials from foreign countries. Secondly, as we have low literacy rate here in Pakistan and from above if someone visits foreign to seek a job then, I thing it is much shamble for us. As far as I am concerned we should establish as many industries and create many jobs, as our youth need to cope with unemployment in every field. One more important factor is that we should industrialize our homeland at world competing level by making authentic policies and study by the government. Electricity, for instance, as the world is going to find the cheapest means of electricity and providing it to it's industrial sector. China is one of them. Similarly in education sector the world has it's own regard. The government, NGOs and private institutions should play an important to educate youth and eradicate unemployment. No country can sweep progress except export. Unless we increase our export, we give respect and due our exporters more than bureaucrat or prime minister, we can't get progress in this field. Additionally exporters are thought to be an asset of one's country. I am sorry to say that we are still in dark age, and unfortunately exporters haven't been given the respect they needed as a result the country couldn't make well-progress. I request the government to cheapen the electricity, gas, water and the services of port as well.
BM- what is the role of Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry in dealing the industrials affairs?
Ans: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry is playing a leading role in the industrial affairs. In chamber there is a memorandum article of association which claims to protect the rights of it's members. If any department either the Govt or semi Govt or any private, is harassing the members of ours, then we protect their industry, trade and tights as well. Apart this we have RND (Research and Development) department, which provides a complete research of the whole world to members. It further investigates that, which industry and trade in the world how and why is progressing. After completing this process our staff make an authentic report of research and circulate to the chamber's members. Needless to say that for many years we facilitate our members with different kinds of Libraries including Books, digital and electronic libraries as well. If any of our members need government's document, notifications or tariff books, we provide them without any delay so that they could get awareness of business activities as soon as possible.
Q-How do you support the policies of Mr. Rauf Siddiqui (Minister for Industries and Commerce (Sindh) regarding the business?
Ans: Undoubtedly, he is a man of word and is too much co-operative. One of his remarkable qualities is that I observed that, when a businessman puts his/her problems in front of him at the spot he tries his level best to solve them. But alone he can't do anything if the whole political scenario doesn't back him up.
Q- What is your aim and vision in future?
Ans: I would feel pleasure to take about China that the whole world believes in China's progress. No country I the world as much progressing as China. The economists couldn't also calculate the facts & figures of China's advancement. In my research work, I visited the world biggest textile factor situated in China, I astonished that the 800 employees including the own of the factory and even the sweeper live in the same building. As a result it hardly takes them five minutes to move on their duty timing. In our part of the world, we daily get late at least one or two hours, which cause our downfall almost in every field. It is well-expressed fact that the government of China fully supports their exporters, factory owners and merchandisers and facilitate them with free electricity, building and plots to bring them competitive level around the world. Lets have a little look at our government attitude, for example if a businessmen consult the government, even a lower grade officer behaves in such a way that they are robbers of thieves.
Q- How do you take the policies of current democratic elected government regarding business scenario?
Ans: There are many departments of the government but there is no such which observes the whole trade process and it's impacts positively or negatively. Further, it also searches out that the margin or profit for a trader is comfortable or not. Here in Pakistan the spinning sector made so many rings frame that as much the cotton we grow more than that the assuming system has developd. Now the rings frame are expected more as a result we import cotton instead of exporting. Unless any barrier, any planning and any system is prepared for check and balance we can't make advancement in any field.
Q- How do you comment of the commercial consulate of Pakistan in other countries?
Ans: Actually the commercial consulate plays a leading role in grooming and boosting the trade or export of one's country. Unfortunately, there is no positive result of Pakistan commercial consulate in the world. There are multi reasons, for example, if we appoint a commercial consulate in China, firstly he/she doesn't know Chinese and can't fully acclimatize to the environment. Secondly, it takes him/her at one year in searching the market and in the rest of one and an half year he/she can't play any positive role. Now the positive side is that the Govt should contact the settled Pakistanis in others countries. If isn't so then it should contact the buying agencies and merchandisers for the appointment of commercial consulate by giving them the required targets.
Q- Would you like to convey any message to the business community through our magazine Business Monitor?
Ans: My message to all business community is work honestly and faithfully. Always support the honest man and appoint the employee on merit base. If you observe any misleading and corrupted then don't deal with such a person.   mawaiz.khan@businessmonitorpk.com