ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: President Asif Ali Zardari said here on Monday that the government had a clear vision to extricate the country out of the difficult economic situation due to worldwide economic slowdown and global financial crisis.

He was speaking to office-bearers of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in the Presidency on Monday.

Identifying elements of policy framework for overcoming economic problems in the long run, the president said these included adoption of new fuel policy based on bio-diesel, optimising utilisation of scarce water resources and reliance on public-private partnership as engines of industrial growth.

He said that the Chinese investors had shown interest in investing in Pakistan within the framework of private-public partnership and our private entrepreneurs should explore ways and means to lure Chinese entrepreneurs.

He also advised the government to consider reviving the steel mills under the public-private partnership scheme to make it a profitable and productive venture.

Referring to the problems of the textile sector, the president said the textile sector had vast potential to earn valuable foreign exchange.

The president called for holding a special national seminar to examine the problems of the textile sector and identify measures needed to be taken to exploit its full potential.

The president said task forces, comprising experts and government functionaries, should also be set up in other areas of industry to identify their peculiar problems and suggest remedial measures.

The president, however, said that the foremost issue that needed to be addressed for industrial development and economic revival was the security and law and order without which he said neither manpower could be productively employed, nor resources utilised efficiently.

He said that the PPP government had taken up the challenge of security.

The president said that the government relied on trade and not on aid for overcoming its economic problems.

A number of industrialists and businessmen from Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Frontier also spoke, and highlighted their problems.

The president directed the Advisor to Prime Minister on Finance to hold separate meetings with them and make recommendations to the government for redressing their specific problems.

The President also called for more such meetings with the business community.—APP