LAHORE: Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi addressed the business community at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) regional office in Lahore and assured them that they will play their role for resolving the issue faced by businesses community.
On this occasion, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan said that he pays tribute to the business community for working in difficult conditions.
He said that no attention has been paid to agriculture and industry adding that electricity and gas are very expensive, and no budget is allocated for agriculture.
He further said that our neighboring country is producing more crops by using our seeds, but our per-acre yield is very low. He emphasized that unless the business community is supported, the country cannot prosper. He stressed that tough decisions are needed to put the country on the right track.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said, “If we support agriculture and the business community, the country will progress. The business community needs to be provided with security. The CPEC will prove to be a game-changer for Pakistan. By promoting business, we can provide employment to youth. There are reservations in FATA and PATA, and the government will take stakeholders on board to resolve this issue. IPP agreements are burden on us.”
Kundi said for national progress, we need to focus on youth and women. FPCCI President Atif Akram Sheikh, Regional Chairman and Vice President Zaki Ijaz, Vice President Zain Iftikhar, Vice President Qura-tul-Ain, Chairman Capital Office Karim Aziz Malik, and Patron-in-Chief UBG SM Tanvir said that industries are also facing challenges like gas and electricity load-shedding and expensive energy, which is affecting our industrial production and making Pakistani products uncompetitive in international markets.
They said issue needs to be resolved on a priority basis. The textile industry has brought revolution in Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. We also need to focus on this sector and formulate policies for it. They further said that our budget proposals aim to create a conducive environment for investment and sustainable growth. We recognize the importance of a fair and sustainable tax system and support reforms that simplify the tax structure and promote economic growth. The main challenge is to improve the tax collection system and effectively achieve tax revenue. This is why we need to emphasize tax reforms to broaden the tax base and simplify the tax system. Enhancing performance and increasing economic growth requires privatization, which is an essential tool.
They called for making policies related to business community after consultation with business community and FPCCI.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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