With a view to facilitate industrial sector, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to establish an e-portal for the new electricity connections and other services which would not only save precious time of the business community but would also bring much-needed efficiency in industrial activities.
LCCI President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed in their joint statement on Wednesday said that procedure of new electricity connection for industry is too much cumbersome and takes average 178 days as compared to Korea where the businessmen can get electricity connection in only 18 days.
They cited the example of Korea where businessmen request and receive internal wiring inspection by Korea Electrical Safety Corporation, submit application and sign contract and receive external works, meter installation and electricity flow and all procedure completes within 18 days only.
There is a dire need to follow the modules of developed countries where industry is being facilitated through modern techniques. They said that the proposed e-portal would provide the facility of not only submission of applications but submission of all relevant documents online. They said that this e-portal should be integrated with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Land Record Management Information System (LRMIS) and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) database for the verification of company's information.
LCCI office-bearers also suggested that this e-portal should also collect fee online through online banking. After submission of verified safety inspection report, demand notice should be generated through e-portal. They said that currently, internal wiring inspection is being conducted through Electric Inspector, Punjab. LESCO should accept the internal wiring report of private certified and registered contractors, they added.
Electric Inspector should be able to submit the internal wiring report on this e-portal within 10 days. They said that all infrastructure cost up to the point of connection should be borne by the government/LESCO. The establishment of one-portal will enable Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to collect all the required information and disseminate to all the concerned federal/provincial government departments through an online portal, they added.
However, they said, registration with each department should be made need-based. The one-portal will also enable SECP to take a one-time lump sum payment in their online bank account which can then be transferred to the account of the relevant federal/provincial Government departments, they added. LCCI office-bearers further said that such initiatives would not only pave way to become at par with the developed countries but are also direly needed to improve the Pakistan's ease of doing business ranking which is deteriorating every year and has reached from 75 in 2010 to 138 in 2015.