LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Thursday announced Rs 5 billion relief package for the affectees of Hafeez Centre fire during his visit to Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

While addressing the traders, he said that the Punjab government will provide soft loans to 207 affectees in collaboration with the Punjab Bank to help resume their businesses. “Around Rs 1.6 billion will be given as a subsidy of mark-up,” he added.

He assured the business community that meaningful steps will be taken to overcome Hafeez Centre fire like incidents in future and Rescue 1122 will be provided more resources. “Rehabilitation of affectees is a priority and the restoration process of traders will be accelerated,” he added.

According to him, the government stands with the business community and instructions have been issued to reactivate the committees for further strengthening the cooperation between the business community and the administration.

The CM stated the government is establishing 13 special economic zones and work has started in Faisalabad and Lahore, while the foundation stone will be soon laid in Bahawalpur and Muzaffargarh. “The government has also launched the Punjab Rozgar Scheme to provide soft loans worth Rs 30 billion. Moreover, the government gave a tax relief package of Rs 56 billion, including direct tax relief of Rs 18 billion, to the business community during Coronavirus pandemic and rate of taxes was sufficiently decreased on 20 different services.

On the occasion, Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht said that the CM directed to give priority to the relief package and it has been finalized in collaboration with the Bank of Punjab.

Meanwhile, in the presence of the CM, Excise and Taxation Additional DG Rao Shakeel-ur-Rehman and National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation GM (Marketing) Syed Amir signed an agreement to provide standardised vehicular number plates to the customers at their doorsteps.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020