Pakistan takes over SAARC chamber presidency

The 41st and 42nd Executive Committee Meetings of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) were held in New Delhi last week.

The 41st and 42nd EC Meetings of SCCI were significant occasions as these marked 14 successful years of the establishment of SCCI. For the first time in SCCI’s history, one full presidential cycle of rotation between the SAARC countries is completed and the seventh presidential term of SCCI came to an end.

A new President has taken over the leadership of SCCI with Pakistan filling this position after 12 years. “This is a landmark opportunity for Pakistan to head a regional organization and make a niche for the SAARC region like ASEAN and EU in this highly globalize world,” the Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) said in a statement.

Dasho Ugen Tsechup Dorji, the SCCI president from Bhutan for the term 2006-07 warmly welcomed the new President after formerly handing over the presidential office for the term 2008-09.

The new President is Tariq Sayeed, a leading businessman from Pakistan. He is the former President of the Federation of the Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the former President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The newly nominated EC members of SCCI from each SAARC country have also taken up office.

Mir Nasir Hossain, former President FBCCI and a prominent businessman from Bangladesh has taken over as the Senior Vice President of SCCI and Iftikhar Ali Malik, the former president of FPCCI and the Chief Executive of Guard Group of Industries from Pakistan has now taken up the position of Vice President SCCI.

Some prominent delegates at the event included Mir Nasir Hossain from Bangladesh, Nawaz Rajabdeen from Srilanka, Suraj Vaidya from Nepal, S.N. Agarwal from India, Richen Dorji from Bhutan and SCCI’s new EC members from each SAARC country.