PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to take pragmatic steps for facilitating the business community to attract foreign investors and promote industrialisation in the province.

The demand was made by SCCI acting president Shahid Hussain during a meeting with CEO of Korean company Youm Gyo and Ellen Sung and others at his office here on Monday. On the occasion, the Korean company took keen interest to invest in different sectors in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Mr Hussain said that SCCI in collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority would soon make functional a state-of-the-art business facilitation centre to help traders and resolve their issues under a single roof. He hoped that the proposed centre would play pivotal role in industrialisation in the province.

He called upon the investors to take full benefits of the KP potentials in different sectors. He also asked the government to take practical measures to facilitate business community and promote industrialisation in the province.

Mr Hussain welcomed the Korean private company for making investment in the province. He said KP was gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asian markets so the investors should take advantage of the potentials and make investment in the region.

Meanwhile, the former president of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and general secretary of Businessmen Panel (BMP), Haji Ghulam Ali, has demanded special incentives package for industries and trade including cut in duties on import of industrial machinery, taxes and discount rate to promote trade and industries in the country.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he said that unprecedented price hike made the life of poor and middle class of the society miserable. He said that the flawed policies, discount rate, taxes and growing unemployment were rendering industries closed.

He demanded special relief for industries and traders in the power and gas tariffs. He said that the country was passing through the critical situation, therefore, instead of conducting experiments, the government should take practical steps for the development of trade and industry.

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2020