PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Wednesday launched an online government-business communication platform, GoBiz Connect, insisting that the initiative will help increase coordination and communication between government departments and business community and thus, promoting trade and commercial activities in the province.

Launching ceremony for the web portal was held here at the Chief Minister’s House here with Caretaker Chief Minister Mohammad Azam Khan being in attendance as the chief guest.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, ministers Dr Najeebullah and Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah, chief secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Provincial Team Lead of the Sub National Governance Programme Dr Raheel Ahmad Siddiqui, representatives of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries, and relevant government officials attended the event.An official statement issued here said the GoBiz Connect would prove to be an effective platform to boost business activities and economic growth by enhancing cooperation and coordination between private and public sectors in the province.

CM says govt trying to transform public financial management system

It added that the web portal would also serve as an effective tool to monitor and track government’s decisions related to the resolution of business community’s issues and complaints and considering the proposals of the business community in government’s policy decisions regarding business.

The chief minister appreciated the KP IT Board and donor agencies over the initiative, which, he said, would play a pivotal role in promoting business activities in the province by ensuring the direct involvement of the business community in policy decisions of the government related to business and investment opportunities.

He said transforming the public financial management system for a better economic environment in the province was one of the major goals of his government.

“Our province presents an ideal environment for investment in the various sectors including infrastructure, mines and minerals, energy and power and tourism. There is a need for an integrated approach by different stakeholders to fully exploit this potential. This web portal will have a key role to this effect,” he said.

Mr Azam said better government and business stakeholders communication would provide an opportunity for the identification of feasible projects to be executed at provincial level as well as presentation to the Special Investment and Facilitation Council, which was the highest investment promotion forum in the country.

He said all those efforts would ultimately result in the economic development of the province as well as the country.

“The success of the initiative will certainly depend on the sound coordination and better integration of all provincial government departments involved in regulatory and other functions related to the business. The provincial government has already taken multiple steps to facilitate the investors and promote business activities in the province,” he said.

The chief minister said the Asan Karobar web portal developed by the KP Board of Investment with the technical assistance of the KP IT Board was doing well in facilitating the business community.

He complained about a lack of integration among all key departments and said the GoBiz Connect would address the issue.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2023