Tribal chamber launches membership drive

Tribal Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TACCI) on Sunday formally launched its membership drive in Khyber Agency urging industrialists, businessmen and traders of the area to join hands with trade body for the promotion of trade and industry, and protection of their rights. In this connection, Khyber Agency businessmen held a convention under the auspices of Shinwari International Company here in Hayatabad Industrial Estate. A large number of industrialists, businessmen and shopkeepers attended.
Addressing the convention, TACCI President Haji Ghulam Ali said similar kind of conventions would also be held in other tribal agencies and Malakand Division to create awareness among the business community of both Fata/Pata regarding their rights and incentives for the promotion of business activities in their regions. He said the aim and objective behind the formation of Tribal Chamber was the promotion of trade and industry for overcoming the growing unemployment. He said investors of the areas have a special advantage over other parts of the country, as they were living in the area that was exempted from taxes.
Regarding the initiatives of the Chamber for industrial development of the area, he said they had held several rounds of talks with the USAID and World Bank. He said as a result of the efforts by the body, the federal government approved the establishment of two modern quarries with one each in Fata and Pata. He was optimistic that very soon the marble and mining industry of the region would use modern technology.
Haji Ghulam Ali said the area was not only gateway to Central Asia and Pakistan, and despite that fact the inhabitants of the area were living in backwardness having no facilities. He assured the businessmen of Khyber Agency that Tribal Chamber providing platform for raising voice in this connection too.
He was thankful to the government and particularly former Governor Lieutenant General Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah (Retd) for his role and cooperation in the establishment of first ever trade body for the businessmen of the tribal belt. Furthermore, he said an amount of Rs six million had also been sanctioned for the construction of building to house the offices of the Chamber. He told that a piece of land had also been selected for this purpose. He was optimistic that new governor would also continue cooperation with the body.
In response to complaints about various difficulties in the provision of loans to the businessmen of Fata, Haji Ghulam Ali assured the utilisation of Chamber platform for resolving that problem. For controlling unemployment and making development, he disclosed that TACCI had planned to establish a Research and Development Centre with the responsibility for preparation of guidelines regarding investment.
He asked the participants of the meeting to obtain membership of the Chamber and utilise it for the resolution of problems confronting the business community of the tribal belt. He also urged upon the participants to send drafts of problems and their resolutions to TACCI, which he would forward to the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and federal government for inclusion in the coming national budget.
Speaking on the occasion, Faiz Rasool Khan vice president FPCCI said the present leadership of the apex trade body wanted the promotion of trade and industry and for that purpose they were advocating the establishment of more chambers in the country. He said the FPCCI had already okayed Kohat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) while two more chambers were in the pipeline for Nowshera and Swat. He said the FPCCI was making efforts for establishment of a Chamber at district level.
Appreciating the industrial policy announced by the provincial government last month, he said dues to lack of facilities investors of the province were preferring to make investment in other parts of the country. He said that due to exemption from taxes, the environment was very much conducive for industrial development of the area.
Senator Hamidullah Khan Afridi, Haji Shamsher Khan, Haji Hanan, Haji Tehmash Khan, Akbar Khan, Yar Asghar, Abdurahim Afridi and others also addressed the convention. About 150 traders and industrialists of Khyber Agency obtained membership of the Chamber during the convention.