LAHORE: New office-bearers of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) have assumed the charge with a commitment to work for the cause of trade, industry, economy and the business community.

While speaking at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, LCCI newly elected President Kashif Anwar, Senior Vice President Chaudhry Zafar Mahmood and Vice President Adnan Khalid Butt shed light on their priorities for the upcoming year.

The meeting was presided over by the Election Commission Almas Hyder and also attended by former LCCI office-bearers, Executive Committee Members and business leaders.

Newly elected President Kashif Anwar declared his term as Business Compliance and Facilitation Year and pledged to act as a bridge between the business community, Punjab Revenue Authority, Federal Tax Ombudsman, Social Security, Employees Old Age Benefit Institution and other government departments.

He appealed to the business community to perform their national obligation by filing tax return. “The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry will take special measures to encourage non-filers to come into the tax net but the government should also give respect to the taxpayers and remove the hindrances like over taxations and double taxations”, Kashif Anwar added.

He said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry will leave no stone unturned to resolve the issues being faced by the trade, industry and the economy.

He said that for the past long time, the country has been suffering from political instability due to which serious economic problems have arisen.

He said that the economy was not yet able to cope with the effects of COVID-19 that the thick clouds of default started hovering over the country and the floods added fuel to the fire.

He said that more than 1500 people have lost their lives, crops standing on millions of acres were destroyed, cattle were washed away and still more than 30 million people are sitting under the open sky.

Kashif Anwar said that whole of Pakistan is likely to be affected in the coming days. A serious challenge is looming over the country as the crops of wheat, rice, vegetables, fruits and cotton have been destroyed and the country will have to import these commodities. He said that huge foreign exchange is required for the import of these commodities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022