FAISALABAD, April 5: Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi has said that an advisory committee is being constituted to make the forthcoming budget as business friendly.

The committee will be consisting of heads of chambers of commerce and industry and renowned trade associations, the minister said while speaking to the members of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry here on Saturday.

Mr Jatoi claimed that a gigantic plan is also in the pipeline merging all the taxation agencies into one unit for the collection of taxes and duties.

He said the export processing zones were being set up throughout the country under the direction of Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali. Power generation plants would also be set at the EPZs so that industrialists could be provided electricity at cheaper rates, he added.

He said the investment desks at all the international air ports had been set up for providing latest information to the foreign as well as local investors.

Talking about the automobile industry, Mr Jatoi said that vehicle manufacturing companies had been directed that positive efforts be made for providing brand new vehicles to their customers within two months of payment otherwise they should be paid 6 per cent mark-up on their payment.

Earlier, FCCI president Mian Amjad Saeed highlighted the problems faced by the business community, especially increase in the tariff of gas, electricity, phone and petroleum products. He demanded the government for an immediate relief package for the industrialists.

He said the industrial revolution could only be brought about in the country after simplifying the procedure of payment of taxes and reducing the number of agencies deputed for this purpose. He also demanded the government to withdraw the duty and taxes on the import of latest textile machinery. All type of chemicals should be prepared in the country to reduce the cost of production of different goods, he added.

Meanwhile, speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a programme held under the arrangements of Smeda, Mr Jatoi said the government would make all out efforts to strengthen the small industry, especially textile related sectors.