RAWALPINDI, April 27: Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) president Hussain Ahmed Ozgen has demanded of the government to give incentives to the industrialists in the forthcoming budget.

Speaking in a meeting here on Tuesday, he said the rate of sales tax should be scaled down to 10 per cent and income tax limit extended to Rs150,000.

Senior vice-president Jawed Akhtar Bhatti, vice-president Fazalur Rehman, former president Sheikh Shabbir Ahmed Nabi Nowsherwan, M. Asad, Dr Hassan Sarosh and other senior members were also attended the meeting.

The RCCI president briefed the members on his recent visit to Afghanistan to attend an OIC investors' conference. He said the conference would have positive impact on the socio-economic structure of the member countries besides increasing trade and commerce activities among them.

Mr Ozgen mentioned that there was huge scope for Pakistani investor to invest in construction sector and other avenues. He stressed on the business community to take advantages of the opportunity and share their role in Afghanistan's reconstruction and business.

The meeting also discussed the coming federal budget and demanded of government to make it business-friendly. "The businessmen are facing several problems, including high rate of taxes and utility," the RCCI chief said and added that to compete in the international market it was necessary for the government to bring down the rate of taxes and utility charges.

He said the RCCI was making all-out of efforts to solve the problems of business community and was mobilizing its resources for this purpose.