Local business community is playing an important role for the promotion and expansion of business and economic activities in the federal capital, but they are facing many problems in smooth pursuit of their efforts.
Therefore, they need a helping hand and better co-operation from Capital Development Authority (CDA) to create conducive conditions for better growth of trade and industry in the local area, stated Mian Shaukat Masud, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while welcoming Tariq Mehmood Khan, Chairman and Board Members of CDA at ICCI.
He said to make Islamabad hub of commercial and economic activities, ICCI has planned the establishment of some big ticket projects like an industrial estate in 1-17 Sector, dispensary in I-10 Sector, a vocational and training institute. He said ICCI needs all possible support and full co-operation of CDA for the smooth and hassle free execution of all these projects as without CDA's support, ICCI cannot move forward.
Highlighting on industrialists' problems, Mian Shaukat Masud said CDA should allow the bifurcation, multi-division and amalgamation of industrial plots so that if an industrialist wants to bifurcate, divide or amalgamate his linked industrial plots, he could do it easily because presently this practice is not allowed. He also called for restoration of all cancelled plots, particularly in Sihala Industrial Estate which were cancelled due to non-payment and other problems as this practice will generate more economic activities.
He said industrialists of furnaces business should be allowed change of trade except for negative list and change of trade should not be linked with NOC. Highlighting traders' issues, ICCI President said traders are facing problems in transfer of ownership of plazas and CDA should facilitate them by making this process easy for them.
He said CDA should allow the construction of high rise multi storey apartments or flats in commercial areas to give them on no profit & no loss basis to small traders to address their accommodation problems.
He also emphasised upon CDA to give commercial plots on 99 years lease instead of 33 years lease and provide car parking facilities in all commercial centres as well as develop all markets according to present day's requirements. He asked for restoring cancelled plots of restricted auction and also provides infrastructure services in that area because due to non-availability of services, these plots could not be occupied properly.
Speaking on the occasion, Tariq Mehmood Khan thanked President and members of ICCI for providing him this opportunity of direct interaction with business community. He said CDA is duty bound to facilitate business community so that they could promote business activities without problems. He said reconstitution of committee comprising CDA and ICCI members will be notified very soon. He said work for the development of I-17 industrial estate is in progress and all bottlenecks in this regard will be removed in consultation with ICCI.
He said within 2 years, the process of allotment of industrial plots will be started. He said CDA will study the case for allowing bifurcation or amalgamation of industrial plots on case to case basis to facilitate industrialists.-PR