LAHORE: The business community will not face any problem regarding the access to all the institutions of the Punjab government. The government does not give priority to one sector over another. All sectors of economy are equally important and necessary for each other.
These views were expressed by Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal while addressing a meeting at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry on Saturday.
President LCCI Mian Nauman Kabir delivered the welcome address while Senior Vice President Mian Rehman Aziz Chan, Vice President Haris Ateeq, Secretary Industries Punjab Wasif Khurshid, Secretary Food Ali Sarfraz Hussain, Secretary Excise and Taxation Waqas Ali Mehmood, Secretary Environment Protection Department Syed Mubashir Hussain, Special Secretary Housing and Urban Development Ahmed Mujtaba Karamat, Commissioner Lahore Captain Muhammad Usman (retd), LCCI former Presidents Sohail Lashari, Tahir Javed Malik, Almas Haider, former Senior Vice Presidents Amjad Ali Java, Ali Hussam Asghar, former Vice Presidents Kashif Anwar, Zeeshan Khalil, Mian Zahid Javed, Executive Committee members of the Lahore Chamber also addressed the gathering.
Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal said that there should be no disquietude between the government and the business community. The vision of the present government is to create facilities for the business community, he said, adding that the government values all those business people who invest in this country, create jobs and contribute to the betterment of the country’s economy. They play their role in the development of the country, all these people are very important to us.
He said that it was the duty of the government and administration to provide business environment to the business community, to improve the economy, to take the country forward, to increase the growth rate, to increase industrialization and to generate employment opportunities. The government will help you all in this. We have to move the country forward by supporting each other, he said.
He further said that due to COVID-19, in the last two years we have all faced many difficulties in which issues like inflation, employment are at the forefront which we are all enduring. Prime Minister Imran Khan is himself working for the ease of doing business. He said all the laws that are heavy for all of you are also for you. We are now moving towards a compliance system in which you all have to enforce the law and it is the responsibility of the state to oversee this process.
Speaking on the occasion, Lahore Chamber President Mian Nauman Kabir said that bureaucracy should play its full role in solving the problems facing the business community. He said that we want to set up a Joint High Powered Committee for the development of Lahore city, consisting of four representatives from the private sector nominated by the Lahore Chamber besides the Home, Health, Finance, Environment and Excise and Taxation it will include representatives of relevant government departments. He said that Lahore Chamber should be represented in the relevant management committees for timely issues related to management and for the timely solution of the problems. The Model Market project under the administration of Commissioner Lahore is being worked on.
He said that the LDA charges 20% of the commercial value as per DC rate for conversion of land used by the existing industry which is very high and this fee is an impediment to the growth of the industry. In addition, Existing Industrial Units should be regularized without any charges. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce had set up a committee on the issue of property tax, but the issue is still pending and no significant progress has been made.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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