New president takes over SCCI

The 41st and 42nd executive committee meetings of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) were held in New Delhi, India last week.

The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) is an apex regional organisation and an avid representative of the private sector which aims to create regional economic cooperation in the SAARC region, that is recognised by all the governments of SAARC member countries.

SCCI was set up in 1993 with the agenda to enhance regional and economic cooperation in the SAARC region. Since its inception, SCCI has remained committed to playing a vibrant role in deepening and enhancing trade and regional economic cooperation as well as creating awareness and capacity building in the SAARC region.

The 41st and 42nd EC Meetings of SCCI were significant occasions as these marked fourteen 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. The Presidency of SCCI has been handed over to Pakistan after 12 years. This is a landmark opportunity for Pakistan to head a regional organisation and make a niche for the SAARC region such as ASEAN and EU in this highly globalised world.

Dasho Ugen Tsechup Dorji, the SCCI president from Bhutan for the term 2006-07 warmly welcomed the new President after handing over the presidential office for the term 2008-09. The new President is Tariq Sayeed, a leading businessman from Pakistan.

Sayeed 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 also taken over as the Senior Vice President of SCCI and Iftikhar Ali Malik, the former president FPCCI and the Chief Executive of Guard Group of Industries from Pakistan has now taken up the charge of Vice President SCCI.

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