PESHAWAR: The business community has demanded of the government to approve the incentives announced for it after the merger of Fata and Pata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

It also called for the provision of gas connections to industrial units on a priority basis.

The demands were made during a meeting at the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Wednesday.

Also call for better water supply, cleanliness in industrial estates

Acting president of SCCI Saad Zahid, Industrialists Association Hayatabad president Zarak Khan Khattak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development Management Company manager Faiz Mohammad and businessmen Haris Mufti, Malik Imran Ishaq, Mohsin Wadood, Faisal Afzal, Junaid Altaf and Farhad Asfandyar spoke on the occasion.

The businessmen expressed concern about low gas pressure and said under Article 158 ofthe Constitution, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited should fulfil thedemand ofthe industriesofKP before giving surplusgasto other province.

They demanded natural gas connections instead of those of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG).

The businessmen also asked the government to ensure the early expansion of the Hayatabad Industrial Estate grid station.

They demanded better performance of the Water and Sanitation Services Peshawar to ensure water supply and cleanliness in industrial estates.

The businessmen also called for practical steps to ensure early completion of developmental projects, installation of streetlights and control of environmental pollution in the area.

They accused the Environment Protection Agency of harassing industrialists and asked the Peshawar Development Authority to stop collecting entry fee of Rs200-Rs500 from every truck entering industrial estate.

The participants decided that a charter of demands would be prepared to be presented to the federal and provincial governments for the early resolution of their problems.

They said the business community of the province had badly suffered due to militancy, while the successive governments didn’t support it properly and that their problems increased due to energy crisis.

The participants said the relevant ministers and officials should take interest to resolve the businessmen’s problems to enable them to continue work smoothly as thousands of families were associated with the industries directly and indirectly.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2019