KOHAT: The Kohat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has demanded speedy completion of the Rs389-million women business centre (WBC), which has been hit by a two-year snag.

KCCI founding president Rasheed Paracha and social activist Esar Bangash demanded this during a visit to the centre.

The WBC, originally planned to be completed by October 2023, consists of classrooms for the training of women and girls, and halls for exercises.

Asian Development Bank has provided funding for the project.

Rasheed Paracha told Dawn on Sunday that the vacant ground in front of WBC could be used for constructing shops for women entrepreneurs to generate revenue to meet the expenditures of the centre.

He said that the tehsil municipal administration and Water Supply and Sanitation Company were vying to take custody of the WBC, which were themselves passing through major financial crunch. He said the centre should be handed over to Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda).

Rasheed Paracha suggested that it was necessary to take the women beyond traditional handcrafts and lace them with the latest business models, such as information technology, online shopping, food business, toy making, flower carvings, and other craft sectors.

“It would enable them to contribute towards education of their children, and assist them in bearing home expenses,” he said.

Mr Paracha also emphasised holding monthly exhibitions, and seeking help from relevant institutions so that entrepreneurs and students could implement their new ideas.

He highlighted the importance of WBC under the supervision of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cities Improvement Project and its scope for opening business opportunities for women.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025