Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Naseem Khokhar has said that the government is providing a conducive environment to investors by taking measures for ease of doing business. He directed the relevant provincial departments to complete reforms for ease of doing business within deadline. He was presiding over a meeting of provincial working group for ease of doing business, here at Civil Secretariat on Friday.
The meeting reviewed implementation of reforms initiated in different departments. The chief secretary said that there are vast investment and business opportunities in Punjab and reforms introduced in various departments are yielding positive results. He mentioned that digitization and use of information technology would enhance capability of departments, besides improving public service delivery that would directly benefit people.
He said that steps taken by LESCO for making easier obtaining an electricity connection are praiseworthy and other power distribution companies should also follow the same. The representative of World Bank told the meeting that their team visited Lahore to review implementation of initiatives for ease of doing business and lauded the steps of the Punjab government, terming them "well-organized and exemplary".
The secretary Planning and Development department briefed participants that a number of reforms for ease of doing business have been completed in Punjab while work on others is underway. He said that an online system of fees payment will begin in Punjab soon, adding that obtaining permission for construction has been made easier. Similarly, registration of property in the province would be made online, he concluded. The meeting was attended by secretaries of finance and industries, chairman PITB, DG LDA, CEO LESCO and officers concerned.