LAHORE - Ensuring business friendly environment is the top priority of the provincial government, and the business community will not face any problem regarding access to institutions of the Punjab government.

Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal expressed these views while addressing a meeting here at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Saturday. LCCI president Mian Nauman Kabir delivered the welcome address while senior vice president Mian Rehman Aziz Chan, vice president Haris Ateeq and others also addressed the gathering.

Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal said that the government did not give priority to one sector over another as all sectors of economy were equally important and necessary for each other. He said there should be no disquietude between the government and the business community. 

“The vision of the present government is to create facilities for the business community,” he said, adding: “The government values all those business people who invest in this country, create jobs and contribute to the betterment of the country’s economy. They play their role in the development of the country, all these people are very important to us.”

The government values all those business people who invest in this country, create jobs and contribute to the betterment of the country’s economy 

He said that it was the duty of the government and administration to provide business friendly environment to improve the economy; to take the country forward; to increase the growth rate and industrialisation; and generate employment opportunities. “The government will help you all in this. We have to move the country forward by supporting each other,” he said.

He mentioned: “Due to Covid-19, in the last two years, we all faced many difficulties. The laws, which the business community thinks heavy for them, are also for your betterment as well as for the economy. We are now moving towards a compliance system in which you all have to enforce the law and it is the responsibility of the state to oversee this process.”

In his welcome address, LCCI president Mian Nauman Kabir said that they wanted to set up a Joint High Powered Committee for the development of Lahore city, consisting of four representatives from the private sector nominated by the Lahore Chamber. “Besides the Home, Health, Finance, Environment and Excise and Taxation, it will include representatives of relevant government departments,” he added. He said that Lahore Chamber should be represented in the relevant management committees for timely issues related to management and for the timely solution of the problems. The Model Market project under the administration of Commissioner Lahore is being worked on.

Mian Nauman Kabir said that there is an urgent need for new parking plazas in Lahore. In this regard, we are ready to work with the Punjab government under a public-private partnership. Lahore Chamber Senior Vice President Mian Rehman Aziz Chan and Vice President Haris Ateeq said that they want to set up help desks of Waste Management, Punjab Revenue Authority and Environment Department in Lahore Chamber. They suggested the Cheif Secretary to instruct the concerned officials to coordinate with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce in this regard. Apart from this, the Chief Minister had also announced to set up a help desk of the Board of Revenue in the Lahore Chamber to facilitate the documentation and other matters related to the land record of the business community.

 They suggested that Lahore Chamber has no suitable place for parking so the parking space of Lahore Ladies Club should be shifted to Lahore Chamber. They also demanded that LCCI’s representation in Provincial Boards and District Administration Committees including LDA, PSIC, GC University, Aitchison College, Lahore Arts Council and PIEDMC should be ensured.

Lahore Chamber Vice President Haris Ateeq said that a joint working group of provincial secretaries and business community should be formed to resolve the issues as soon as possible.