PESHAWAR: The business community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has severely criticized the federal and provincial governments for their ‘anti-business’ policies and ‘illegal actions’.
An official communiqué issued here on Sunday, stated that the executive committee of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has adopted a unanimous resolution against government’s decision of supplying of gas to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Weighted Average Policy, imposition of fuel price adjustment in power bills, rising prices of petroleum products, along with unclear policy of industrialization in the province.
The SCCI warned that the federal and provincial governments that if they failed to bring economic stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, not only new investors will ignore the province, but the present investors will also be compelled to shift their investment to other provinces.
The SCCI Executive Committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of SCCI president Hasnain Khurshid Ahmad. Besides, the chamber senior vice president Imran Khan Mohmand, executive members Engr Manzoor Elahi, Pervez Khattak, Ghulam Hussain, Naeem Qasmi, Waqar Ahmad, Zahoor Khan, Malik Mohsin Sajjad, S Minhajuddin, Zarak Khan, Farhad Asfandyar, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Ahmad Mustafa, Muhammad Arshad Siddique and Fazal Muqeem were also present during the meeting.
Members of the SCCI Executive body were irked by the government’s decision of supplying of gas to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Weighted Average Policy, imposition of fuel price adjustment in power bills, rising prices of petroleum products, changes in drug rules, non-materializing commitments by federal and provincial governments, continuous lack of facilities at Azakhel Dry Port Nowshera and they adopted a resolution on the occasion unanimously against these policies.
The meeting strongly criticized the federal and provincial governments for their ‘anti-business’ and industry-hostile policies.
The participants said that though the provincial government on one hand had made tell claims for striking deal/ MoUs worth billions of dollars during Dubai Expo 2020, and attracting investment, wooing investors in the KP, but on the other hands, the it has been adopted policies and attempts to close-down the established businesses and industries in the province, which is clear reflection of the KP government double-standard policy.
The speakers made it clear that the KP is no longer an investment-attracting province, and there will soon be a flight of capital, because present investors are ready to shift their businesses to other provinces, which will be a big negation of the provincial government’s claims of attracting foreign investments in K-P.
The SCCI EC termed the supplying of gas on weighted average policy a sheer violation of article 158-A that has guaranteed that provinces will fully exploit their natural resources. Similarly, the meeting said the superior judiciary had given verdicts against collection of Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA), which was also tantamount to contempt of court.
The forum also condemned the rising prices of petroleum products. According to the participants, the prices of crude oil have declined in the global market, despite the fact that the prices have consistently increased in Pakistan, which is completely unjust and unfair to the people of the country.
The participants also rejected the changes in drug rules and asked the government to revise its decision in the best people and pharmaceutical interests.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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