SIALKOT (APP): Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) President Abdul Ghafoor Malik said that all available resources would be mobilized to solving the problems of local exporters and manufacturers.
In a press statement here on Sunday, he said that during his nine months tenure as president, he and his team rendered valuable services to solving the problems of members.
Being the SCCI president, he would continue to play his role for the development of members and concrete steps were being taken in this regard.
He said that following were the steps taken for the promotion of business activities include: trade delegations to Kuwait and Azerbaijan were formed from the platform of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) which were very successful.
Due to continuous efforts of SCCI, the government has also given approval to sending trade delegations to UK, Japan, Syria, Brazil and Canada. He added the work was going on and very soon delegations comprising SCCI members would be sent to these countries.
Apart from this, an exhibition based on Sialkot manufactured products was also in the pipeline with the mutual participation of foreign buyers.
“We are also successful in getting the government to extend the cut-off date of overdue payments till April 30, 2023, for which our efforts are on for further extension and we strongly hope that the cut-off date for overdue payments will be further extended by the government very soon”, he added.
He said the SCCI had taken concrete steps to promoting exports and resolve business problems faced by members of the Chamber. These included members participating in the international exhibitions, especially the exhibitions organized in America and Germany, would get the facility of visa appointment on a priority basis, release of necessary funds for the completion of Sialkot-Wazirabad Road, Sialkot-Pasrur Road and Sambrial-Airport Road and the government’s assurance of completion of Sialkot, Wazirabad and Airport Road by the end of this month and a Board of Management had also been constituted last month to resolve the operational issues of the Small Industries Estate and Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
He said that in June 2023, officials from the Finance Ministry and External Affairs Ministry arrived at SCCI to verify the business documents of the members, exemption from the worlds for taxes on the export sector, the (EPZ) Material Testing Lab in Sports Goods by the Chief Minister of Punjab, assurance of establishment of Material Testing Lab in Sports Goods (EPZ) by Chief Minister Punjab, resolution of various problems related to banking sector, especially the issue of payments from Russia, release of Pre-qualification Tender for Safe City Sialkot Project.
He also expressed his determination that Sialkot Chamber would always play its role for the development of its members and promotion of exports.
SCCI president promises all efforts to solving issues
