FCCISL’S SAARC economic integration forum today

The Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL), the focal point and the lead chamber of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) in Islamabad, Pakistan, today hosts a forum on Economic Integration: A Catalyst for Socio Economic Uplift of South Asia’, at Galadari Hotel, Colombo.

This is a forum jointly organised by the FCCISL and SAARC CCI and will focus on economic prospect and challenges and is expected to draw eminent professionals, scholars and leading entrepreneurs from whole of South Asia.

Speaking about the conference, FCCISL and SAARC CCI President Ruwan Edirisinghe said. “We hold this important event at a time when most of the SAARC countries are engrossed in political and economic turmoil. Therefore, this is a timely move to identify and discuss the opportunities to promote regional economic cooperation.

The FCCISL and SAARC CCI have invited the leaders of the private sector, representatives of regional think tanks, government representatives dealing with economic, trade and foreign policies of the SAARC countries and representatives of international institutions, to deliberate and brainstorm the core components of integration for enhanced regional economic integration.

Speaking further on the event, he said that this is a region with a lot of untapped potential, proportionately high youth population and natural resources. Even though all SAARC countries have recorded a reasonable rate of growth in the past, still poverty has been a common factor to all SAARC countries.

“We all want to eradicate poverty but It is only business that could help us achieve it through creating wealth for all SAARC nations and to create employment for people. Therefore, the SAARC economy, which is one of the least integrated regional blocks in the world, needs to be revived through economic integration.”

The SAARC CCI, being the apex body of the chamber movement in South Asia, is committed to increase enhanced economic cooperation, among the member states of the SAARC, he added.

This forum will be followed by the ceremony organised by the FCCISL on the changeover of the presidency of the SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneur Council (SCWEC) in Islamabad, Pakistan, from Sri Lanka to Afghanistan, in midst of a large number of invitees from all South Asian countries.