Pointing out that the relations with the World Bank were not ideal, he stressed the need for effective dialogue with the Bank, and said that the Bank should be approached for a bailout package. Terming trade normalisation between Pakistan and India vital for economical growth of both countries, he said that both economies had been suffering since 1954, when the trade between two neighbouring countries had been suspended.
Burki said that the GDP growth was likely to be 3.5 percent during the current fiscal year, adding that the government should take immediate action to mobilise resources, as the country's population was likely to exceed 200 million by 2014. Citing various figures, he said that 2012-13 was likely to be better than the year before, but it "does not mean that the economy is finally out of the woods". He said: "In 2008-12, Pakistan was engaged in making a transition from a controlled to a reasonably open political system. The positive side of this development is that a durable and representative political system is coming into being in which people will have a voice. One of the more important reasons for the economy's indifferent performance was the poor quality of governance. There are ways to improve governance and some of these are being factored into the development of institutions of accountability."
In his welcome note, MAP's President Kamal Chinoy said: "The aim of this convention is to provide a platform and opportunity for corporate stakeholders to analyse key trends and prospects in the region in general and Pakistan in particular. " He said that MAP had established close ties with other international management associations such as the Asian Association of Management Organisations (AAMO) of which MAP was a member, and All India Management Association (AIMA).
"Collaboration with these associations is not only providing our members with an opportunity to interact with other like-minded corporate professionals, but also facilitating them with a learning experience for enhancing their management skills and knowledge at an international level," he said. He also said that MAP and AIMA are jointly organising a leadership summit next year in Delhi. The theme of the conference is 'Leading Change: New Challenges and New Opportunities'. The conference will allow Indian and Pakistani business leaders to share their understanding of the evolving business environment in the subcontinent and beyond.
In her presentation on 'Pakistan - Strategic Perspectives in the New Context and the New Challenges', Dr Marie Lall, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, reviewed challenges in the South Asian region and emphasised on the need for a clear policy vision for the government on issues relating to international trade, energy security and aid in Pakistan.
She said: "For Pakistan, a clear roadmap is needed which can define the relations both with India and Afghanistan. In addition, it is important that relations are improved between government, military and diplomatic bureaucracy." Mike Sherman, the head of Living Analytics, Group Digital Life of Singtel, made a presentation on 'Rich Insights into Developing Markets'.
The panel discussion on 'Development of an Indigenous Innovation and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in Pakistan' was moderated by Furqan Habib Qureshi - SEVP South, PTCL and participated by Shahid Javed Burki, Dr Athar Osama, the founder and CEO of Pakistan Innovation Foundation and Chief Executive of Technomics International Ltd (UK); Saad Amanullah Khan, CEO of Gillette Pakistan and Muhammad Younas, the head of Innovative Products and Internal Expansion, Bayt.com. Shehzad Naqvi, a former president and CEO of Royal Bank of Scotland and Sima Kamil, the head of retail and consumer banking of Habib Bank Limited.