‘Business Facilitation Centre’: Industries secy asks LCCI members to avail benefits

LAHORE: Secretary Industries Punjab Ehsaan Bhutta has said that less human interaction increases transparency and the Business Facilitation Centre is based on this very idea.

He was speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. President LCCI Kashif Anwar welcomed the secretary Industries who was accompanied by Additional Secretary Commerce Ijaz Muinir, Chief WTO Punjab Zuhaib Mushtaq, CEO PIEDMC Ali Moazam, CEO PBIT Jalal Hasan and Deputy Secretary Commerce Abubakar Zubair. The purpose of the meeting was also to provide awareness regarding the Business Facilitation Centre (BFC).

On the occasion, President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kashif Anwar said that the establishment of the Business Facilitation Centre is a great initiative of chief minister Punjab, minister for Industries, secretary Industries and all concerned departments.

“Punjab government has done its job and now it is our responsibility to inform our members about BFC and ask them to visit the BFC and avail benefits,” he added.

He said that to aware LCCI members, brochures regarding the Business Facilitation Centre have been e-mailed. He said that the members have been asked to let LCCI know which NOCs are not available so that the concerned department could be requested to provide the required facility.

The LCCI president said that the business conditions are already not favorable and the industrial sector is not functioning. He said that improvement in business conditions would encourage LCCI members to use the BFC.

Secretary Industries Punjab Ehsaan Bhutta said that the Business Facilitation Centre was a long-standing demand of the business community. The chief minister Punjab had also formed a committee having representation from Chambers of Commerce in Punjab. This committee is chaired by chief minister Punjab himself.

He said that a few months ago, Punjab chief minister and Minister Industries Punjab S M Tanveer visited China where they saw this model and planned to implement it in Punjab.

He said that currently, 17 provincial and three federal departments are working in BFC where 106 NOCs are being issued. Apart from this, investment promotion and information counters are also established at the BFC.

Secretary Industries said that key departments like WASA, FIEDMC, forest, livestock, environment, tourism, PHA, Home department, Special Economic Zone Authority, Energy and others have been established under the vision of ensuring an investment friendly environment.

He said that work has been started to establish similar regional offices in Multan, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Sialkot and other cities of Punjab. He said that a system has been developed that whoever is the applicant, his application immediately goes to the concerned department and at the same time, it goes to the Secretary of that department.

He said that the application is reviewed twice a day. Reasons for delay are also ascertained. He said that 90 percent of businesses require NOCs. Special treatment is being given to the applicant in the BFC.

He said that being the largest chamber of the country, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry must ask its members to visit and avail benefits of Business Facilitation Centre.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023