Problems to be addressed on a priority basis, businessmen told

FAISALABAD: Problems confronted by the business community would be resolved on top priority basis and in this connection, immediate decisions are being taken by the provincial government while federal related issues would also be taken up with the concerned ministries, said Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, Governor Punjab.

He was talking to a delegation of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) which met him under the leadership of President Dr. Khurram Tariq. Governor Punjab underlined the importance of education and said that it could play a catalytic role in socioeconomic reformation.

He said that during the Nawaz Sharif period Rs. 1.2bn were allocated from the public sector development program for the education sector. “It was reduced to Rs.620 million by the next government”, he said and added that this decision badly affected the entire education system.

He termed a kind of double taxation as importers of up country have to pay 1.1% infrastructure development cess in Sindh and then 0.9% in Punjab. He assured the FCCI delegation that he would specifically take up this issue with Federal Finance minister Ishaq Dar.

The Governor directed the FCCI to prepare a working plan for the construction of a modern IT centre in the proposed FCCI complex in M3 Industrial Estate so that necessary financial resources could be arranged for it. About heavy taxation on agricultural appliances, he was surprised to hear that tractors were exempted from sale tax while its attachments are heavily taxed which are generally used by the small growers. “It is also an issue related with the federal government”, he said and assured to request the federal minister to review and revert this decision as early as possible.

Earlier representing the business community of Faisalabad, Dr. Khurram Tariq underlined the role of Faisalabad in the national economy and said that the business community could give a quantum jump to the national exports if provided conducive business climate. He said that up country dry ports are facing multiple problems due to the double taxation and uncooperative attitude of the concerned departments.

He said that Pakistan needs highly skilled manpower and, in this respect, we must prepare a comprehensive five-year working plan to produce skilled manpower to reorganize our industrial sector on modern scientific lines. He said that the government must take the private sector into confidence as it is the engine of economic growth.

Dr. Khurram Tariq also highlighted the Faisalabad related issues and said that a comprehensive strategy should be evolved in collaboration with the private sector to drag out Punjab from the economic quagmire.

The meeting was also attended by Senior Vice President Dr. Sajjad Arshad, Vice President Haji Muhammad Aslam Bhalli and Executive Members, Muhammad Asim, Haji Abdul Rauf, Mian Muhammad Tayyab, Dr. Ijaz Nisar, Muhammad Azhar Chaudhry, Zeeshan Gacha, former President Muzammil Sultan, Former Vice President Bilal Waheed Sheikh, Muhammad Fazil, Amjad Ali Amjad, Madam Nighat Shahid and Ms. Sobia Aqeel.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023