KARACHI: Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Takashi Kurai has that said Japan will work with the new Government to extend economic cooperation to Pakistan, to further cement the bilateral ties, which is still far from the actual potential. Speaking as the Chief Guest, at The CEO Summit, 2018, Kurai, said there are around 80 Japanese Companies which have been operating in Pakistan and desired for expansion in their operations to contribute in the national economy of Pakistan. “We are trying to find the local partners for Japanese companies and Japanese partners for Pakistani companies to bolster the economic cooperation between the two countries” the Japanese envoy said. The Summit was organized by the Employees Federation of Pakistan (EFP) in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO), with the objective to bring CEOs and top Management at one place. The CEOs of Pakistan’s top companies from all sectors at The CEO Summit, 2018 vowed to align Pakistan’s Business landscape with UN Sustainable Development Goals with the collective aim of sharing strategies and setting direction for the future of business in the country. Ms. Ingrid Christensen, Country Director, International Labor Organization, in her remarks, appreciated the efforts of EFP and underscored the liaison between organizations and ILO in supporting and regulating occupational safety, employment opportunities and creating dialogue through all levels of the business ecosystem. In the Session titled “Sharing CEOs Success Stories”, Ms. Shazia Syed, CEO, Unilever Pakistan, shared the rising contribution of millenials in corporations with value-driven and inclusive business projects on health, education and energy. Mr. Alexander Reisch, CEO & MD, Philip Morris Pakistan, urged that businesses should be more inclusive by putting the consumers at the top priority. Ms. Ameena Saiyid OBE S.I. Chair Oxford University Press, urged for promoting the culture of institutionalizing the businesses to deal with the emerging challenges and complexities. Mr. Fakhar Ahmed, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer K-Electric Limited, highlighted the success story of his organizations and their initiatives in building the future of business in Pakistan. Dr. Prof. Mustaghis-ur-Rehman of Bahria University Karachi Campus, chaired the session. Discussing the role of CEOs as enablers, Mr. Saquib Shirazi, CEO, Atlas Honda Limited, pointed out that business corporations need to aim toward becoming institutions for their long-term positive impact on society. Mr. Sirajuddin Aziz, President & CEO Habib Bank AG Zurich, chaired this session. Speaking at the session on the “Future is now”, Ms. Mahvash Siddiqi, COO Epla Laboratories Pvt. Ltd dwelled upon the Autopsy of Pharmaceutical Business in Pakistan and making a business case urged upon the Government and Industry to collaborate to create a better regulatory framework that serves public health goals and allows industry to thrive. Mr. Perwaiz Khan, CEO Dalda Foods Limited emphasized upon the need for business to avail the technological opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of people with their products and services. He stressed upon the issue of water scarcity in the country and called for investing in harvesting crops with less water stress which could be a game changer in the context of Pakistan’s Future of Business. Dr. Naseem-ul-Ghani Sahito, Commissioner Sindh Employees Social Security Institution, who was chairing the Session, pointed out that myopic approach of policy makers and business companies would be putting the local companies in an awkward situation. “We have not been doing anything substantial and practical to face of huge challenges”, he said. He further said that this might prove to be a disaster for the local trade sector. He called upon the businessmen to put pressure on the political forces of the country to create conducive environment for the local industries for its operations. In the session on “Building a Fantastic Tomorrow”, Leisure Leagues shared their vision of creating a happier future for the youth through engagement with football. Dr. Peter O Brian, an Irish economist, addressed the summit via video link, sharing research results on the prevalence of global corruption. Mr. Riyaz T. Chinoy, CEO International Steels Limited pointed out towards the need to revamp the performance appraisal systems to make performance more convertible into results. Mr. Syed Nadeem Ahmed, CEO The Searle Company Limited highlighted the impactful role of business in building a fantastic tomorrow and quoted that the five companies from Pakistan made it to Forbes ‘Best under a billion list’, Searle being one of them. He proudly mentioned that his company will be the first Pakistani Pharmaceutical company which will go global, will get US FDA approval and start manufacturing in several European countries. The last business session was on the future of business and its linkage with UN Sustainable Development Goals. Mr. Zubair Bawany, Global Director Partnerships & Social Impact, Leisure Leagues Pakistan, Ms. Madiha Javed, Public Affairs Manager, Nestle Pakistan, Ms. Sadaf Khan, Project officer, Sona Welfare Foundation-Fauji Fertilizer Company limited, highlighted the initiatives taken be their company in aligning their strategies with the sustainable development goals. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2018.