The Punjab Government has decided to revisit existing laws to reduce red tape, cost of regulations and entry barriers for new business in the province and directions have been issued to planning and development department to collect data on all licenses, NOCs and permits, registrations, taxes and fees for starting and running a business.
The decision was taken at a meeting jointly chaired by Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and Chairman Board of Investment Zubair Gilani. Speaking on the occasion the Chief Secretary said that the government is providing a friendly and conducive environment to investors by taking measures for ease of doing business and concrete steps are being taken to simplify and automate the cumbersome procedures of registering and running a business. He said that there is a need to remove duplication of taxes unnecessarily imposed by different departments at provincial as well as district level. He also highlighted the Punjab's initiative to move towards inspection free regime. He directed the planning and development department to carry out a complete stock take of all licenses, NOCs and permits and prepare a report so that number of required documents could be reduced/rationalized through clubbing or elimination.
Chairman Board of Investment Zubair Gilani lauded the steps of the Punjab government and said that owing to positive measures by the government, the ranking of Pakistan would improve in the ease of doing business report to be launched by World Bank by the end of October this year.
Federal Secretary Board of Investment Omar Rasool, Secretary Industries Punjab Tahir Khursheed, Secretary Planning and Development Imran Sikandar Baloch, Chairman PITB Azfar Manzoor, World Bank Representative Amjad Bashir and officers concerned were also present on the occasion.