Haji Ghulam Ali, the convenor of the newly-formed Tribal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) has said that the body would make efforts for industrialisation in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) and Provincially Administered Tribal Area (Pata) to create employment opportunities in this backward and neglected part of the country.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Friday, the TCCI chief said that NWFP governor has announced the establishment of four industrial estates in tribal belt.
Construction work on two of them had already started, while the two others would be completed during the next financial year.
He said that Fata comprises seven tribal agencies and six Frontier Regions, while Pata is comprised of huge area of Malakand Division where more than 3,000 small- and medium-scale industrial units have no platform to raise their problems before the government.
"Like industrialists and traders of other parts of the country, the business community of tribal areas are also facing problems with any of the government department," Ghulam Ali said, adding that owing to the problems the pace of development work in such a large part of the country was practically stopped.
He said that for the resolution of the problems of the business community of the tribal areas they are constantly in touch with NWFP Governor Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah (Retd), which resulted in the announcement of the formation of All Tribal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said that the tribal area is neglected and backward area of the country where no facility like education, drinking water and health is available.
The agony of the matter is that they have even no access to the transmissions of Pakistan Radio and Television.
"The governor has taken the decision to bring them into national fold and create employment opportunities for the educated and skilled youth of the tribal areas.
The establishment of separate chamber for tribal area will not only help in creating employment opportunities for the locals, but would also divert the attention of the resourceful tribesmen towards the establishment of industrial units.
In case of any difficulty or problem they would have to contact Tribal Chamber for its resolution.
The TCCI would not only extend all kinds of co-operation and assistance, but would also use this forum for the resolution of their problems.
To a question, he fully defended the exemption of the industrial units of Fata/Pata from sales and income taxes, saying that the federal government had exempted them, while taking backwardness into consideration.
However, he said that still the owners of industrial units in Fata/Pata are paying different kinds of taxes in the form of duties and surcharges.
He said that some elements are objecting the exemption of sales and income tax to push the area towards industrial stagnation.
Justifying his stand, Haji Ghulam Ali, who is an important leader of JUI-F, major component of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) said that even the industrial estates of the settled areas have been exempted from all kinds of taxes for 5 to 10 years and in this connection, he particularly mentioned incentives granted to Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estates in the past.
He said that such kind of exemption always helped in the success of the industrial units, adding that the tribal area where no facilities like electricity, gas and drinking water are available, the levy of such taxes is totally the negation of justice.
He alleged that such elements intentionally want to keep the area deprived of facilities.
However, he said that the NWFP governor has foiled their designs through announcing the establishment of Tribal Chamber.
He said that they are looking for a suitable place to purchase plot for the construction of the TCCI Secretariat in Peshawar, saying that the governor had already announced Rs 5 million for the purchase of land for this purpose.
To another question, he dispelled the impression that the establishment of new chamber was not required and said that the problems of traders and industrialists of the tribal belt are totally different, therefore, the establishment was a longstanding demand of the business community of the tribal area.
"The elections for the office-bearers of the Tribal Chamber would be held after completion of legal requirements. However, he said that like traditional tribal Jirga the team would be elected with the consultation and advice of the members," Ghulam Ali said.
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