Qatar Chamber has affirmed that the country's private sector has shown its ability to overcome the consequences of the economic siege imposed by the boycotting countries on Qatar.
Since the beginning of the siege, various sectors have opened new channels to import foodstuffs and construction materials, chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani said.Sheikh Khalifa said in a statement on Sunday that the efforts of the private sector helped ensure the continued flow of goods into the local market to prevent any shortage.
He pointed out that there is a continuous coordination between Qatar Chamber and various concerned ministries and government institutions to overcome any obstacle to the business sector so that they can ensure the normal flow of goods into the market.
Sheikh Khalifa indicated that the Chamber holds daily meetings with traders and suppliers to discuss issues facing them and referring them to the competent authorities for solutions.
The chairman praised the cooperation shown by various ministries and governmental institutions in this regard, saying that this cooperation provided solutions to the problems faced by Qatari traders and opened new horizons for businessmen to expand their activities.
The coming period, he said, will focus on encouraging businessmen to open more industries, especially in food sector, adding that businessmen will be given incentives and provided with the facilities that help them to launch local projects.
He pointed to the Single Window Initiative launched by the Coordinating Committee to facilitate industrial investment in Qatar under the slogan "Own your factory within 72 Hours" and included 250 industrial opportunities in various sectors.
Sheikh Khalifa said that the unjust siege imposed by the neighbouring countries did not affect the Qatari market as much as it affected the markets of those countries whose companies stood to lose.
He stressed that Qatar was able to immediately secure goods by importing them from alternative markets at the same cost and with better quality.
Sheikh Khalifa noted the recent launch of direct shipping lines with Salalah and Sohar ports in the Sultanate of Oman, Mundra and Nhava Sheva ports in India and the Turkish port of Izmir from which the first ship carrying about 3,000 tonnes of miscellaneous foodstuffs arrived last week.
He also stated that Qatari businessmen and companies have signed agreements and contracts with several companies in different countries to ensure the flow of commodities and raw materials at competitive prices, adding that the first to be affected by the siege are the companies, businessmen and factories in the neighbouring countries who lost their position in the Qatari market.
The chairman pointed out that the availability of strategic stocks of basic foodstuffs in Qatar covers the need of the market for more than 12 months and this stresses that the lives of citizens and residents in the country will not be affected by the siege, especially as import of goods continue from different countries of the world.
Moreover, he said that the Qatari economy proved once again that it is strong, cohesive and immune to crises, pointing out that the Qatari economy remained strong and steadfast when world oil prices reached record levels of decline over the past years and it continued to grow, unlike in some countries of the region.
Sheikh Khalifa stressed that the Qatari economy has shown that it is built on solid foundations under unprecedented Gulf conditions. The Qatari economy proved its immunity during the economic crisis in 2008 amid the downturn that included all the world economies.
