The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) should fulfill its commitment and avoid shifting industries from Kahna Kacha Industrial Estate until and unless alternate place is provided to the affected industries. The call was given at a meeting between LCCI President Malik Tahir Javed and a delegation of Kahna Kacha Industrial Estate led by Mahmood Akhter here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
The delegation informed the LCCI president that it was agreed between the industrialists of the area and the LDA that no industry would be shifted until alternate place is given but the LDA started marking various industrial units for demolition. They said investment of billions would become garbage if the LDA implements its decision without giving alternate place.
LCCI President Malik asked Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif to take notice of this move by the LDA. It seems that some elements want to create trust deficit between the private sector and the government, he added. When the entire world is talking about industrial expansion to win the global market, the LDA is utilizing its all energies for deindustrialization which would ultimately hit the national economy hard, he maintained.
He asked the LDA to keep in view the ground realities before taking such decisions and said that residential colony would not render any service to the economy of Punjab but demolition of Kahna Kacha Industrial Estate would not only deprive millions of workers of their jobs but would also air message that this piece of land is not safe for doing business.
Malik Tahir Javed said the Punjab government should immediately take notice of the situation as forceful implementation of LDA's decision would also bring down the graph of government's popularity. He said the priority to residential colonies over industrial area is a matter of concern for the business community who is trying to play role for economic development of the country besides various challenges.
The LCCI president said that industrial estates and free zones always attract local and foreign investment and contribute to economic development of any country. These make a vital contribution to the national exports besides generate huge employment opportunities. Pakistan has already lost a number of international markets while the condition of both local and foreign investment is also precarious. In the present scenario when the country is struggling to enhance exports, collapse of Kahna Kacha Industrial Estate would further aggravate the situation.
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