‘Business Compliance & Facilitation’ year: LCCI urges govt to develop policies in consultation with business community

LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has urged the government to consult private sector while making business related policies to make them result-oriented and beneficial to economy.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar was addressing a delegation of 34th Public Sector Management and Governance Course, led by Instructor Planning Zoune Arif, at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

LCCI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Zafar Mahmood and EC Member Sheikh Muhammad Ibrahim also spoke on the occasion. The management course participants were also shown LCCI documentary. The participants also asked a number of questions ranging from tax to private sector’s role in policy making.

The LCCI office-bearers said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry has declared this year as “Business Compliance and Facilitation” and strong liaison between the government and the business community is also one of its top priorities.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar said that we are emphasizing on the importance of filing tax return in order to broaden tax base. While answering a question regarding business community’s wish to minimize the role of government in taxation and other relevant matters, the LCCI President said that the business community doesn’t want to minimize the role of government but we want the due representation of private sectors in policy making process.

Replying to another question regarding the static Tax Base, Kashif Anwar said that when the existing tax payers will be given due respect and honour from the government and when they will be differentiated from the non-taxpayer, the tax base will automatically expand.

The LCCI Senior Vice President Chaudhry Zafar Mahmood said that bureaucracy sometimes considers the business community their opponents but this is not true. We are sharing the burden of the government by revenue and employment generation. He said that the business community wants reciprocal response and respect from the government as well. He invited the participants to visit again after 6 months to review the performance of the LCCI.

Chaudhry Zafar Mahmood said that the Lahore Chamber is going to invite Governor Punjab and Vice Chancellors at LCCI for consultation for establishing Entrepreneurs Centers in universities soon. The idea is in process of planning these days. It will help strengthening the industry-academia linkages.

Leader of the Delegation Zoune Arif said that the purpose of the visit of the Lahore Chamber is to enhance liaison between the public and private sector in order to run the relative affairs smoothly. She said that there are a lot of policy gaps due to space between public and private sectors which need to be fulfilled with mutual cooperation and consultations. She hoped that these participants after accomplishing the course and after assuming their offices will comply the needs of the business community.

The LCCI office-bearers hoped that after the training and holding positions of immense importance, the delegation members will make an effort to understand the private sector and develop policies in consultation with the business community.

The LCCI office-bearers informed the delegation that the primary function of LCCI is policy advocacy. Through its Research and Development Department, the Chamber identifies the issues and their viable solutions with the input of standing committees focused on the various sectors. These issues are taken up at the highest forums of Government for their early resolution. LCCI facilitates the business community by keeping them aware of the opportunities and challenges originating from the globalization of trade and investment.

They said that LCCI prepares Budget Proposals and sends them to government for consideration so that tax anomalies could be rectified and private sector representatives may be encouraged to take new business initiatives. LCCI gives feedback to the government on various public policies e.g. Industrial policy, Investment Policy, SME Policy and Trade Policy etc. LCCI also organizes Seminars, Workshops and Conferences for capacity building of its members.

The LCCI office-bearers added that Lahore Chamber has signed lots of MoUs with national and international organizations related to trade and other important fields like banking, education, diplomatic affairs etc. Apart from pursuing its main objective of promoting and protecting the interests of trade & industry, LCCI carries out Corporate Social Responsibility quite actively. Such activities include donations to hospitals and educational institutes and participating in relief activities as and when needed. Let me share with you a recent example of it. LCCI donated around Rs38 million and also sent trucks of daily use items to ease the hardships of flood affectees.

They said that the organizations like SMEDA, Excise & Taxation, LESCO, FBR, PESSI, Bank of Punjab, UBL, PCSIR, FTO, PIA, Punjab Land Records Authority and WASA etc. are cooperating with LCCI in this connection. In addition to that, our members are benefiting from NADRA, Passport Facilitation Center, NADRA E-Sahulat Center, Driving License and Police Khidmat Markaz etc.

In the end, SVP presented vote of thanks to the participants for visiting the LCCI.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022