Renaming of SCCI: directorate of trade organisations raise objection

The directorate of trade organisations has raised objection on remaining of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KPCCI), it was learnt. Gul Mohammad Khan, a business tycoon of Peshawar, established Sarhad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) in 1958.
Since then the chamber was carrying the name of the province and even after the promulgation of the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO) 2007, no objection was made over the name. According to the officials of the chamber, it was renamed when a letter carrying the name of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry was delivered to the Presidency that reminded the trade body that the name of the province has been changed. The official in the Presidency was unaware of the rules and regulations of the names of the trade organisations.
The sources in the chamber said that the DG to office has raised the matter by writing a formal memorandum to the chamber, saying that the Trade Organisations Ordinance has no provision for a chamber of provincial level allowed the formation of such body at district level in the country. The three other provinces of Pakistan included Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan has no precedent of having a provincial level chamber. Talking to this scribe, president of the chamber, Afan Aziz said that after the promulgation of the Trade Organisations Ordinance (TOO) 2007, the DG to office had made objection over the name, but now they were reminding it to us.
He defended the renaming of the trade body as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce & Industry as it has close links with all industries and trade organisations of the province. He said that the struggle of the chamber that had declared the province as terrorism affected region prompting the federal government to announce a relief package for the revival of its economy. Under the package, the business community has been given relief in duties, taxes and mark-up on business loans.
A former two-time president the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and late leader of Tariq Saeed led Businessmen Panel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, late Faiz Rasool Khan has demanded several times for the renaming of SCCI as Peshawar Chamber. However, the management of the chamber was determined to the maintenance of the new name and was in this connection had sought time to discuss the matter with Secretary Ministry of Commerce.