Progress of joint body formed on Saggian Industrial Area reviewed

LAHORE: President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol, Senior Vice President Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh, SAARC Chamber Vice President Mian Anjum Nisar, former President Muhammad Ali Mian, Executive Committee Member Umar Sarfraz, and others attended a meeting to review the progress of the joint committee formed for Saggian Industrial Area.

During the meeting, President of Saggian Association Shafiq-uz-Zaman met LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol. General Secretary of the Saggian Association Hafiz Tanveer, Haji Nadeem, and other leading industrialists were also present.Former LCCI President Muhammad Ali Mian gave a detailed briefing on the progress made by the LCCI–Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) joint committee so far. He informed that in the meeting held on December 11, the committee prepared important points and recommendations regarding industrial issues, land-use conversion, DC rates, basic infrastructure, conversion charges, and zoning of the Saggian Industrial Area.

The briefing said that, under the committee’s recommendations, progress has been made on approval of existing industries’ as-built building plans under RUDA policy, data sharing, mapping of industries, approval of industrial zones, and matters related to conversion charges.

It was also agreed that decisions on conversion and development charges would be made under a uniform policy, and the option of payment in instalments is also being considered.LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol said that industries in the Saggian Industrial Area have been operating on a self-help basis for decades. He added that most of these are small and cottage industries that provide livelihoods to hundreds of thousands of families. He stressed that LCCI believes existing industries must be protected in new policies, and all stakeholders should be consulted before any final decision is taken.

He said that the LCCI–RUDA joint committee is working to present a comprehensive solution to the problems of industrialists, and final recommendations will be prepared soon.

SAARC Chamber Vice President Mian Anjum Nisar said that RUDA was established in recent years, while industrial units in Saggian have been active for decades. Therefore, it is essential that the rights of existing industries are fully protected in any new legislation.

The meeting reaffirmed that the Lahore Chamber will continue to defend the interests of industrialists at every forum and, in consultation with RUDA, will find solutions that are acceptable for both development and industry.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026