KARACHI : Assistant Secretary General of Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Attiya Nawazish Ali has said that Pakistan's trade with Tajikistan can be improved by availing opportunities effectively. Business community of Pakistan and other Islamic countries need to see how they can improve their trade relationships and investment opportunities, she added.

Tajikistan is a country rich in resources that needs to be tapped, she stressed. In order to explore markets in CIS countries, ICCI organised 2nd OIC Business Forum - 13th Private Sector Meeting for the Promotion of Trade and Joint Venture Investment among Islamic Countries in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on May 14, 2010, under the theme "Role of Intra-Islamic Trade and Investment in Strengthening Economic Growth - Tajikistan the promising country", said Attiya.

The Forum was organised prior to the 37th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, which is a yearly gathering of foreign ministers of OIC Countries.

She informed that the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organised the said meeting on the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan and General Secretariat of the OIC and with the support and co-operation of the Islamic Development Bank. Concurrently with the meeting an exhibition was also held to showcase the Tajik, and some OIC Countries' products.

The Meeting was attended by 300 delegates, representing 22 OIC member states, and some non-OIC Countries as well as representatives from General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, Islamic Development Bank (IDB), Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD), International Islamic Trade and Finance Corporation (ITFC).

The meeting put forth certain recommendations in the form of the DUSHANBE ECONOMIC DECLARATION. Some of them are as follows: An emphasis on the need for public private sector partnership so as to assign further importance to the private sector and enhance its role in development plans.

Reiterate the need for the National Chambers of Commerce and Industry to be consulted in the formulation of policies and programmes, in order to have a more effective role of private sector in economic development. To call upon the private sector to develop agriculture industry through small holder farmers who can effectively produce per hector and thereby contribute to the economic growth and food security of the member countries.

Noting the vast natural resources in the member states, particularly Central Asian Republics, called upon the private sector to undertake projects that could lead to value-addition for export oriented production. To call upon the Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD), of the IDB to take necessary steps to provide lines of finance through the National Banks or any other local bank of Tajikistan and similarly for other OIC Member Central Asian Republics the development of the SMEs in private sector.

To call upon the ITFC, the trade finance and trade promotion arm of the IDB, to explore the possibility of providing trade finance lines through local banks for the benefit of private sector of OIC Member Central Asian Republics, and help them in diversification of their export base. ITFC is also called upon to focus on capacity building in the export capability of the said states, through collaboration of trade promotion organisations and training of staff.

ICIEC, the investment and export credit and insurance subsidiary of TUB, can be called to play an effective role in bringing foreign direct investment FDI in Tajikistan and to the other 010 Member Central Asian Republics, in energy, infrastructure and tourism sectors, to exploit vast potentials existing in these sectors.

The Forum called upon the need of the OIC Member States to encourage their private sector to utilise the OIC Preferential Tariff Scheme for TPS-OIC (PRETAS) covering tariff and para-tariff preference, which would facilitate access to wider range of products and an expanded 010 market.

Called upon the investment arm of Islamic Chamber, the International Islamic Company for Exploration of Investment Opportunities and Promotion of Intra Trade (FORAS) as well as all other major Muslim investors to come forward and utilise enormous opportunities that are available in sectors of hydro energy, agriculture, construction, tourism, health and finance in the Republic of Tajikistan.

To call upon Islamic Chamber to continue its efforts in bringing the private sector in the forefront as a prime mover in the national economies and at the same time the government policies should be geared to provide a congenial environment for the growth of private entrepreneurship and to facilitate movement of individuals arid capitals.

The Forum notes with appreciation the holding of the 14th Private Sector Meeting by Islamic Chamber in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates in collaboration with the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry from 22 to 24 April 2011.

General Secretariat of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), an affiliated institution of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) regularly organises Private Sector Meetings in different OIC countries with the objective of bringing the private sector in the forefront of economic development.

General Secretariat of the OIC in its Roadmap for implementation of the OIC Ten-Year Programme of Action has also mandated ICCI to continue its activities, especially organisation of Private Sector Meetings and to ensure effective implementation of the agreements signed during these meetings.