In pursuance of NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani's decision to establish Industrial Facilitation Centre (IFC), the provincial government had prepared a feasibility study of the proposed project to boost industrial and trade activities in the province, sources in Smeda told Business Recorder on Wednesday. The establishment of the Industrial Facilitation Council and Committee was included in the first-ever NWFP Industrial Policy, NWFP-2005, unveiled by Akram Khan Durrani, while addressing the inaugural session of the International Investment Conference, 2005.
The proposed body would be headed by the chief minister and will have members from both public and private sectors. It will work as an apex body for facilitating investment in NWFP, and will take high-level decisions to address the problems of the industrialists.
The provincial government would provide all information and assistance through one-window operation under one-roof without any discrimination or payment of kickback.
The objectives of the proposed Industrial Facilitation Centre would be to stimulate investment, facilitate and provide services to the prospective investors (both local as well as foreign). It would also have a rich database for dissemination to investors besides, providing facilitation; the body would also work on removal of hurdles and impediments in way of the industrial development.
Similarly, the features of the IFC would be the provision of general information, collection of economic profile of all 24 districts of NWFP, compilation of feasibility, sectorial studies of small and medium scale enterprises.
The body would also have to maintain and provide information on national and provincial industrial policies and also have to maintain and provide material, brochures of Smeda for facilitation of investors. It would also have material/brochures of the Board of Investment (BoI).
The proposed IFC would also extend facilitation to investors on electricity connections, gas connections, water, phone and sewerage services, etc and would ensure the provision of information regarding financial assistance from DFIs and commercial banks.
Similarly, the proposed Centre would also assist intending investors in provision of information regarding legislative measures, statutory rules, and orders pertaining to industrialisation.
To provide information on import, export services offered by the EPB and export/import policies and procedures, facilitation regarding industrial estates and export processing zones in the province, provision of information on taxation, transportation, and logistic facilitation.
The availability of authentic and comprehensive information about investment and industrial policies in a one-stop shop was a long standing demand of the business community and the establishment of the Industrial Facilitation Centre (IFC) like to run under the auspices of the Industries Department of NWFP would go a long way in fulfilling this need by providing information from various sources on wide range of issues relevant to local as well as foreign investors under one-roof.
It will be clubbing of various related agencies at one place or with active participation of the private sector to encourage fresh entrants in the field of investment.