The Constructors Association of Pakistan (CAP) and Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) have urged the government to give representation to all stakeholders of the construction supply chain in the proposed Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to boost the local construction industry but help it to achieve earning of $10 billion by exporting its services.

CAP chairman Asad Ullah Khan in a statement issued here on Saturday, regretted that the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has rejected the idea of CIDB for promotion of construction industry besides announcing a package for developers and builders. He said contractors had time and again called for resolving all the issues by sitting across the table.

Every institution should clearly know its role and PEC should work for engineering profession, engineering education, recognition of engineering degree abroad or recognizing any foreign degree in Pakistan, allowing engineers' construction of any structure or designs and using different building codes etc.

The construction contracting is a business and no professional council is authorised to regulate or issue a license to any business. The PEC did not have the authority to award the license to contractors when it was formed but with the passage of time it started different such works which is not done globally by any engineering council. He claimed that the engineering council alone earns Rs 1 billion per annum by giving contract licenses.

ABAD North chairman Engr Akbar Sheikh in a separate statement said the construction industry is the biggest sector of the national economy after agriculture.