KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday said he was actively working to introduce investment and business enabling reforms — ease of doing business — by deregulating the business environment and facilitating business through reducing procedures.

Speaking as a chief guest at the Pakistan South East Asia Business Forum, Shah said his government had executed 15 procedural reforms, eliminated the need to get no objection certificates from Sindh Environmental Protection Agency and, Sindh Building Control Authority for certain categories.

“We have reduced time for water and electricity connections and have also digitalised more than 90 per cent of land records and more than 50pc of land record archives,” he said.

Murad said his government was working on plans to urgently review provincial tax collection systems distributed across various agencies for new businesses, make them online and rationalise their collection procedures and points.

“We are set to open business facilitation centres in Karachi and other large cities of the province,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2018