Capital Development Authority (CDA) has exempted the business community of Islamabad from payment of local taxes till their demands pertaining to provision of better civic amenities are not fulfilled. CDA Chairman Kamran Lashari gave this exemption during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) here on Thursday.
Addressing the businessmen, Lashari announced the development of new Sector I-15 and said that federal cabinet in its forthcoming meeting would take up controversial issue of D-12 development.
Hopefully, the cabinet would give go-ahead signal to civic authority in this regard, he added.
The uplift work at Sector I-15 with 9,500 plots would be started in April.
Chairman CDA assured the traders that Islamabad would be made more investment-friendly and industrialists would be invited to help the civic body contribute in this cause.
"Now we are opening up federal capital's all small and large avenues for national/multinational companies to display their advertisements on attractive packages," he said.
Lashari informed the gathering that he has taken several revolutionary steps to beautify Islamabad and sort out a number of problems confronting the citizen.
He stated that CDA has allocated Rs 30 million for improving streetlights infrastructure in the federal capital, which would be completed in about three months.
"We have also awarded a contract of Rs 450 million to Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) for expanding the all major roads of the city to reduce the traffic burden," he added. CDA had also plans to establish another big Food Mall in the Blue Area, he said, adding that the recreational clubs would soon be built in Islamabad.
He maintained that children are the neglected part of our society, the environment directorate is all set to establish 'Toddlers' park, jogging track and open air sports gymnasiums in the city. Initially, five places have been selected for this purpose and work would be initiated soon, he pointed out.
CDA is planning to establish children's park in each sector of capital, Lashari outlined.
As many as 45 public toilets would be constructed in the city with an estimated cost of Rs 2.7 million. A new industrial estate and zone would be established to encourage business and industrial activities.
New high-tech industrial zone would also be developed in Islamabad in collaboration with Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST). The government has sought the technical assistance of China, he said and added that the persistent water shortage in capital is creating hurdles for setting up new industrial estate.
Traders also criticised the poor performance of Sanitation and DMA directorates. The CDA and ICCI agreed to form a committee that would discuss the problems confronting the industrialists/businessmen comminuting.
Chairman assured the traders that matters related to road repair, encroachments, sanitation, property tax, bifurcation of industrial plots, orchard plots, establishment of food mall and provision of civic amenities would be discussed in the meeting with Lashari expected next week.
President ICCI Zubair Ahmed Malik apprised the CDA Chairman of various problems being faced by the traders particularly in I-9, Aabpara area and generally in Islamabad.
Comments
Comments are closed.