EOBI, SESSI officials 'causing hardship' for SMEs: NKATI chief

KARACHI: North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry (NKATI) president Faisal Moiz has said although North Karachi was the biggest industrial zones of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) but unfortunately, all these SMEs, who play a major role in the economic development of the country, were facing a lot of hardships because of harassment and demand for bribe by the corrupt officials of Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI), Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and other government agencies.

"It is high time that these SMEs, who are dealing with 22 government agencies, must get relief. We have to raise a strong voice against this injustice and corruption so that the relevant Ministers could take notice and strictly deal with all the wrongdoings going on at SESSI and EOBI", he added while speaking at a meeting at Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI).

NKATI president suggested that in order to minimize the grievances being faced by the industries and SMEs in North Karachi industrial area, the government must look into the possibility of introducing 'One Window Facility' as the businessmen and industrialists were fed up of dealing with so many agencies and cumbersome procedures.

Highlighting the achievements of NKATI, Faisal Moiz informed that under a Public-Private initiative between the Sindh government and NKATI, the infrastructure of North Karachi industrial area has been drastically improved to such an extent that it was the only industrial zone of Karachi which easily sustained this year's torrential rainfall and not a single inundating incident was reported from this particular area while all other areas of the city witnessed severe flooding and infrastructure damages.

President NKATI, while paying glowing tribute to Chairman BMG Siraj Kassam Teli for his dedicated efforts for the betterment of business community, assured that NKATI would stand shoulder to shoulder with KCCI and all the BMGians in their struggle for the rights of business and industrial community.

Speaking on the occasion, KCCI president Shariq Vohra assured full support and cooperation to NKATI in resolving the issues caused by numerous government agencies.

He stressed that all industrial town associations must unite under KCCI's umbrella and maintain close liaison with the Chamber which was the most influential platform for resolving the general issues being faced by the business & industrial community.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020