PESHAWAR
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Muhammad Ishaq urged the government to take pragmatic steps for promotion of small and medium enterprises and large scale manufacturing industries.
The SCCI chief called for revamping relevant institutions to put them on modern lines and resolve issues of the business community on fast track grounds.
He mentioned that the traders’ community is being faced with a host of challenges and issues as a result of the anti-industries and trade policies imposed by the present government. He added the situation is becoming alarming and deteriorating because of illegal actions by the departments concerned.
The chamber president suggested the introduction of a strong monitoring and evaluation and scrutiny system in the government institutions. He demanded to provide facilities to traders and industries through one-window operation in a true spirit and sense.
Ishaq was talking to members, traders and industrialists during the visit of provincial caretaker minister for industries, trade, technical education and revenue department, Adnan Jalil here at the chamber’s house on Friday.
The chamber’s former president Faiz Muhammad Faizi, former senior vice president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, former vice president Abidullah Yousafzai, provincial chief SMEDA Rashid Aman, executive members Affaf Ali Khan, Faisal Afzal, Hamza Ibrahim Butt, Laal Badshah, Munawar Khurshid, Ms Qurtul Ain, and Waqar Ahmad, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ghulam Bilal Javed, Ihsanullah, Aftab Iqbal, Fazal E Wahid, Saddar Gul, Rashid Iqbal Siddique, Shahrukh Khan, Ishtiaq Muhammad, Women chamber president Ms Azra Jamshid, vice president Anila Khalid, along with senior officials from KPEZDMC, KPBOIT, KP TEVTA, SIDB, traders, industrialists and exporters were present during the meeting.
The SCCI president demanded that KPEZD&MC should stop issuing plot cancellation notices to industrialists. He sought a two-year extension in allotment of plots for the establishment of the industrial unit.
He asked to ensure provision of soft loans through banks to small scale businesses, industries and women entrepreneurs. He also emphasized that proactive steps should be taken for revamping and putting institutions on modernization.
Ishaq called for encouraging colonization in existing industrial estates across the province. He demanded to ensure representation of the chambers in boards of all relevant government institutions.
Azra Jamshid while speaking on the occasion stressed the need for introduction of flexible policies for women entrepreneurs and ensuring provision of loans from banks on easy terms.
Adnan Jalil while responding to reservations, complaints of business community and various queries from the participants acknowledged that the business community, especially industrialists faced a number of issues, which mostly related to KPEZDMC.
The caretaker minister said the provincial government is taking pragmatic steps for promotion of businesses, industries, trade and exports. He said the initiatives have been made to resolve issues of the business community on a fast-track basis.
The minister directed the KPEZDMC to hold a meeting with consultation with SCCI to frame a joint mechanism for resolution of industrialists’ issues. He directed the management of KPEZD&MC to submit a written report of the joint meeting on Monday next week.
He said the government is fully committed to bring reforms and revamp institutions.
The minister assured that the government will utilize all available resources to facilitate the business community and resolve their issues on priority basis.
Muhammad Ishaq thanked the minister for taking serious note over the issues of the business community and issuing directions on spot for their amicable resolution. He expressed the hope that interim government initiatives for business and trade promotion will produce tangible and long-lasting impacts.
