says Jawed Ahmed Vohra Vice -President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry
By: Mawaiz Khan Akash
Jawed Ahmed Vohra is the Vice President of Karachi chamber of Commerce & Industry and an eminent businessman and shared commendable contribution while rendering his services to business community. He begged his graduation degree from St. Patrick Government College. He is in business since 1974. He owns marvelous experience and extremely versatile in personality that led him to the zenith of success. He while talking to business monitor in his exclusive interview he anticipated that the Chamber's basic function is to protect and promote the interest of trade commerce and industry in Karachi and elsewhere. It strives hard to espouse the cause of private enterprise and to redouble its contribution in the socio-economic development to the country.

When it was questioned to how he managed his responsibilities being a vice-president of the chamber he told that my responsibilities are to manage the accounts, provision of sub-committee and membership's certificates. While elaborating further he expressed that a well-fascinated fact that he is a strong believer of research and development. We had already a research and development department here in ours. He said the Karachi chamber constituted the first digital develop in Pakistan which will be providing and facilitating the services to business community.

In other words the research and development programme gives a noteworthy knowledge of other countries including GDP, their policies, growth, manufactures, export and import and their relations and maintaining links with world-wide chambers.

"I believe in long-term policies that could be durable and having no disturbance for business community" he anticipated. In a reply to question he told that business community not only facing problems in Karachi but also in others parts of the city including lack of electricity, water shortage, gas and line and order situation that are becoming the big problems for them. He was of the firm views that war against terrorism hurting investors to invest in this country. The business community has aired concern over an 18 per cent increase in gas tariff, saying it will escalate the cost of business and transport and leave exporters uncompetitive.

The 18pc surge in gas tariff would not only increase the cost of transportation but would also affect all businesses hitting their production hard, he said. He said the hike in gas tariff by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority was a one-sided decision and a deathblow to the industrial, commercial and compressed natural gas sectors. "Such action will protect vested interest of gas companies, supporting their revenue generation but industrial and commercial concerns are fatally stabbed. This will not only increase cost of production and narrow down profitability but will also lead to flight of capital, massive unemployment and decline in government revenues," he said.

He was of the view that such a decision without consultation and consent of stakeholders would result in widespread discontent in the business community. He demanded that the government must negotiate with foreign companies for favorable conditions and interest of the business community should be the top priority, rather than that of foreign companies.  mawaiz.khan@businessmonitorpk.com