FPCCI pushes for packaging sector

LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) urged the government on Wednesday to grant industry status to the packaging sector, which it said was vital for the growth of all other industries.

FPCCI Regional Chairman and Vice President Zaki Aijaz made the demand at a round table discussion on the challenges and opportunities of the packaging sector, held at the FPCCI Regional Office in Lahore.

"The packaging sector is the backbone of all industries and the government should grant industry status to it in order to reap maximum benefits," Aijaz said. The round table discussion was attended by representatives of various packaging companies, associations, and chambers of commerce, who offered their suggestions on promoting the packaging sector, increasing exports, and substituting imports. Aijaz said that packaging was a significant sector that reached local and international consumers, and that it was the third-largest industry in the world economy and the fifth-largest in Asia.

He added that there was a high demand for environmentally friendly packaging, and that Pakistan could play a vital role in developing the country by earning foreign exchange through the packaging sector.