Director of the Domestic Commerce Wing of the Ministry of Commerce (Islamabad) Asim Tiwana has said that a separate department is needed to create awareness among people regarding benefits of entering into tax net and having registration of various facilitating government institutions. Tiwana expressed these views in a meeting with the members of Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). The Managing Director of LIEDA and other stakeholders met in the office of the Lasbela Chamber to discuss the issues being faced by them and to find a possible solution.
Earlier, the LCCI President, Ismail Suttar welcomed the guests from federal and provincial governments and gave a briefing about the Hub industrial area that has about 200 industries including those operating in the Marble City and some of big industries including multinationals. He pointed out that the industries and the people of Hub are suffering from the shortage of water and the distribution formula for the supply of water to Karachi and Hub should be reviewed keeping in view the increasing needs of Hub.
Suttar also pointed out that proper sewerage system is needed for outside industries and upcoming localities at Hub for which the local government should submit a comprehensive proposal to the provincial government. "Due to shortage of electricity load, it has become difficult to set up new industries and to expand the existing ones," he said.
Bashir Ahmed Bazai, the Managing Director, LIEDA said that at least 10 to 15 megawatt load of electricity from K-Electric was hat immediately required to cater to the needs of the existing and upcoming industries. Ismail Suttar also proposed that the HITE Phase-II should be declared as SEZs keeping in view the investment potential of the area particularly in the wake of the CPEC.
Asim Tiwana noted the proposals and assured them that he would take up the same with the relevant authorities to resolve those issues. In response to a question from Muhammad Siddiq Rafee, vice president Lasbela CCI regarding the formulation of labour laws in Balochistan, he said that at federal government level, the uniformity of these laws in all the provinces was being ensured.
Regarding availability of skilled labour at Hub, he proposed that the existing technical institutions should be upgraded in order to produce the skilled workers in accordance with the need of the industries.