PESHAWAR, April 13: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Haji Mohammad Asif has invited members of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) to invest in the hydel power projects in the province.

A SCCI spokesperson said here on Sunday that leaders of both the chambers have signed an agreement for extending mutual cooperation for the improvement of commerce and industries in the NWFP and Punjab provinces.

As per the agreement both the chambers would exchange data pertaining to industries and commerce in order to minimise the estimated costs on production and they would also jointly suggest recommendations regarding trade policy, taxes, excise and taxation and other national policies.

The chambers, he said would also initiate research studies for sustainability of the industries in the provinces.

Referring to the reservations of the Lahore-based industrialists about the law and order situation in NWFP, the SCCI president Mohammad Asif assured the investors that the new coalition government of Pakistan People’s Party, Awami National Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz would hopefully take drastic steps to improve the situation.

He said that the situation was gradually improving and that there are a lot of investment opportunities in the NWFP, particularly for export to Afghanistan and the Central Asian Republics.

The SCCI president also gave a comprehensive briefing about the reconstruction opportunity zones (ROZs) and added that investment opportunities for local and foreign investors were increasing with each passing day.

The LCCI president, Mohammad Ali Mian termed the agreement a good omen for the business communities of both the provinces and said that both the organisations would jointly work for the betterment of the business communities.

He said that combined efforts would be made for the well-being of the businessmen, solution to their problems, and would frame proposals for the federal budget and trade policies.