F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (PIAF) Chief Fahimur Rahman Sehgal, in the lead of Pattern-in-Chief Mian Anjum Nisar, along with former Chairmen Muhammad Ali Mian and Mian Abuzar Shad, Senior Vice President Lahore Chamber, Chaudhry Zafar, PIAF members, Malik Khalid, Sheikh Sajjad Afsil, Shaban Akhtar, Umar Sarfaraz, Ahsan Shahid, Ashfaq Ahmed and market officials visited the main commercial centers of Lahore, including Baden Road, Cooper Road and adjacent markets, and held meetings with the officials of the organizations.
Addressing the meeting, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front chairman Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol called for taking all steps to ensure a business and investment-friendly environment as it was imperative for economic progress and prosperity of the country.
Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol observed that in view of achieving economic growth through consistency in policies, the government will have to take solid measures to strengthen the trade and industry, especially the SMEs, saving the livelihood of millions of workers associated with the small businesses.
Mian Anjum Nisar, on this occasion, observed that the successive governments should pursue the same set of objectives and try to maintain consistent policies for a long-term of at least 10 years. The government should focus on the industrial sector in order to take the economy forward. Neglecting the industrial sector at this juncture will further aggravate the balance of payments situation, he added.
Pointing out the problems being faced by the trade and industrial sectors, he stressed the need for providing a level-playing field to the business community.
The government should also reduce the cost of doing business by ensuring supply of energy at concessional tariff especially for SMEs sector, he added.
President Anjuman Najran Baden Road Tahir Hafeez, Patron General Abdul Waheed, Sultan Mehmood, Chairman Mian Mansoor, General Secretary Mian Zafaro and other market officials welcomed the PIAF delegation. Addressing the traders, Patron Chief PIAF Mian Anjum Nisar and Chairman PIAF Fahimur Rahman. Sehgal said that Piaf’s manifesto is to solve the problems of the business community on a priority basis.
The business community is facing problems like FBR harassment, closure of LCs, import problems, unannounced load shedding, parking, overbilling, departmental actions and expensive electricity and gas in the markets.
The government should solve the above problems on a priority basis in consultation with the traders. Piaf’s mission is to create a stable economy and prosperous business community. On this occasion, Chairman PIAF Fahimur Rahman Sehgal congratulated President Baden Road Tahir Hafeez and other officials for their success in the market election and said that the issues of the traders will be resolved through the platform of PIAF. Former Chairman PIAF Mohammad Ali Mian, Mian Abu Zarshad, and Zafar Mahmood Chaudhary also addressed the event.
The PIAF Chairman Faheemur Rehman Saigol said that the sales tax should be reduced in the upcoming budget and added that fluctuations in the dollar are harmful to the country’s economy. In this regard, the State Bank should regulate commercial banks.
