Noted scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. The ceremony was attended by renowned businessmen, social workers, journalist and other dignitaries. In his key note address, chief guest Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan congratulated the FPCCI for organising the ceremony, saying that such awards would encourage business leaders to contribute more to the national economy.
"I am honoured to receive my first gold award from the FPCCI," he said. Terming business community Pakistan's pride, Dr Khan said: "Businessmen and expatriates Pakistanis are the backbone of the country...the business community earns foreign exchange for the country while expatriates Pakistanis contribute to the national economy through their remittances," he added. Criticising the budget proposals announced by the federal finance minister, Dr Khan said that the government should have announced a provisional budget for a month, instead of announcing a complete budget in a very limited timeframe.
"A complete budget should have been announced after thorough deliberations with all stakeholders," he said. Urging the government to make efforts to overcome the energy crisis, Dr Khan said that loadshedding had badly hit the domestic economy. Urging the government to abandon the National Income Support Program, he said: "People should be taught how to fish, instead of handing over fishes," he said.
He said that the Thar Coal project should have been handed over to a Chinese firm because Pakistani scientists were not capable of exploring Thar Coal reserves. The government, he said, should quickly complete the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project to overcome the energy cries.
Vice-President of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry Tariq Sayeed also criticised the budget and said that the government should have made it business-friendly. He said that 58 award recipients had been short listed from among 98 applicants. President of India-Pakistan CCI and former president of FPCCI S M Muneer advised the government to withdraw certain taxes and make the budget pro-business. He said that the government should withdraw the increase in turnover tax (from 0.5 percent to 1 percent).
"Income Support Levy must also be removed...this will encourage black economy," he maintained. He said that Pakistan Steel Mills, PIA, Wapda and Railways should be privatised to save the national exchequer from further losses. The FPCCI Achievement Awards were divided in to 15 categories.
Those who received Gold Medals include:
Trade, Industry & Service: Tariq Sayeed, Vice-President, Confederation of Asia Pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry.
Securities & Finance Sector: Arif Habib, Chairman and CEO Arif Habib Group of Companies.
Energy, Electricity & Power Generation: Tariq Rizavi, MD Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO).
Export Marketing: Pervaiz T Tufail, Sr. Executive Director of Tufail Chemical Industries Ltd and Gul Mohammad Lot Chairman and CEO Mehran Spice & Food Industries.
Export Marketing: Mehtab Uddin Chawala, CEO of Al-Karam Towel Industries and Rashid Ali, Vice-Chairman of Rafhan Maize Products Company.
Oil & Lubricants: Mian Zahid Hussian, Group Chief Executive of Kenlube International. Iron & Steel: Syed Khalid Tawab, Managing Director of F. Rabbi Steel (Pvt) Ltd.
Contribution to National Economy: SM Muneer, Chairman Din Group of Industries. Insurance (General, Life, Reinsurance, Savings): Captain Azhar Ahmed, Director of Alfalah Insurance Company, Abdul Waheed, President & CEO of the Askari General Insurance, Hasanali Abdullah, Managing Director of EFU General Insurance, Javed Ahmed, Managing Director & CEO of Jubilee Life Insurance and Rasul Bux Phulpoto, Chairman of Pakistan Reinsurance Company.
Social Welfare Services: Abdul Sattar Edhi, Founder Chairman of Edhi Foundation and Muhammad Ramzan Chhipa of Chhipa Welfare Association.
Pharmaceutical, Medical & Health Care Facilities: Professor Dr Adib Rizvi, Director of SIUT, Dr Zafar Zaidi, Founder Indus Hospital Karachi.
Philanthropist: Sardar M Yasen Malik, Chairman of Hilton Pharma (Pvt) Limited.
Earlier, President of FPCCI Zubair Ahmed Malik congratulated the FPCCI on organising the ceremony. He said the Awards were the brainchild of the previous FPCCI chief Haji Abdul Qadir Khan Sherani.