Business activities: ‘Banks must introduce maximum facilitation’

LAHORE: The business community and the banking sector are closely interconnected, and commercial banks must introduce maximum facilitation to support business activities. This was stated by Syed Salman Ali, Convener of the Standing Committee on Banking Affairs at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), while presiding over a committee meeting.

Former LCCI Senior Vice President Ali Hissam Asghar, Syed Mardan Ali Zaidi, and LCCI Executive Committee Members Aamir Ali, Karamat Ali Awan, and Waqas Aslam also addressed the meeting. Other participants included Hammad Khalid, Ramzan Ahmed Raja Shakeel, Muhammad Shahid, Imran Khan, Muhammad Yaseen, Sheikh Aamir Habib, Syed Fahad, Najeeb Chughtai, Imran Asghar, and Kashif Bhatti.

Syed Salman Ali highlighted several key issues faced by the business community, including delays in exporters’ onboarding processes, lack of timely data sharing among banks, and the provision of incorrect information by previous banks, among other concerns.

The meeting decided that these issues would be taken up with the Chief Manager of the State Bank of Pakistan in an upcoming meeting. It was also proposed to establish a facilitation counter of the State Bank of Pakistan at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to ensure prompt resolution of members’ complaints.

The participants emphasized that improved coordination between banks and the business community is essential for sustainable economic growth and export promotion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026