KARACHI, Aug 23: Chairman Standing Committee of the Senate on Defence and Defence Production Nisar A. Memon on Tuesday underlined the need to invest heavily in infrastructure to exploit the existing potential of business in Sindh.

Addressing the members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), he said that there was tremendous potential in the province but the multiple problems were obstructing smooth flow of economic activities.

He added that public and private sector should join hands to remove the obstacles especially in regard to infrastructure.

He maintained that all the chambers should cooperate with each other and help the government remove all irritants besides contributing their due share in national development.

In this regard he suggested the KCCI to form a committee that should identify the problems and irritants, prepare programme and submit the same to him.

He promised to take it up with the president and prime minister besides discussing it in the Senate.

Speaking about the integration of Karachi with the interior Sindh, he said that it was important that the agro-based industry be given due importance which, he added, would not only provide an opportunity to the investors to have good returns on one hand and job opportunities to the people in the rural areas on the other. Highlighting the need of industrial and trade growth in the province, Mr Memon called for elimination of corruption to realize the objectives of these efforts.

Talking about the taxes, he said Sindh had contributed 58 per cent, Punjab 36 per cent, NWFP 4 per cent and Balochistan 2 per cent of the total tax revenue.

He also pointed out other problems and called upon the private sector of the province to be united, revive social responsibility programmes, diversify their business in agro-based industry and while planning new avenues look for alternative energy like solar and wind to meet the shortage.

Earlier, KCCI President Khalid Firoz presented the address of welcome.—APP