ISLAMABAD - In a bid to give a boost to trade and business activities in the country, Federal Ombudsman M. Salman Faruqui yesterday said that in coordination with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Wafaqi Mohtasib was jointly conducting a comprehensive study in order to identify issues of maladministration at the level of government agencies.
“While the option for availing five-tier grievance redress mechanism is available to businessmen, a special dispensation for resolving their complaints has also been put in place whereby five designated grievance officers would be visiting the chambers’ secretariat in all the provinces to listen to the problems and provide speedy solution of their complaints,” he added.
Addressing a joint press conference with Abdur Rauf Alam, President FPCCI and Chaudhry Abdul Rauf, Federal Tax Ombudsman here at the Wafaqi Mohtasib Secretariat, Faruqui apprised that it has been decided by the Federation and the Ombudsman Secretariat to conduct joint study/research for identifying systemic maladministration issues facing the FPCCI and make suitable and doable recommendations for their resolution.
Federal Ombudsman was of the view that he has always given great importance to trade and industry as the development in this sector would lead the country on the path of progress and prosperity, adding that for the purpose a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has recently been signed with the FPCCI Islamabad, which also envisaged resolution of collective issues of the business community with the intervention of the Wafaqi Mohtasib. Salman Faruqui asked media to play its proactive role for creating awareness among masses in order to pass on the message of free and speedy justice to all and sundry.
Faruqui said that an Instant Redress System has been designed to resolve citizen’s problems on the spot and for this purpose Federal Ombudsman Liaison Officers have been designated at different ministries and departments to dispose of the complaints within 15 days.
Wafaqi Mohtasib while highlighting the process of Swift Complaint Mechanism process said, Wafaqi Mohtasib has undertaken an unprecedented and new Swift Redressal System closest to the doorsteps of the complainants at Tehsil or District headquarters in 515 Tehsils and 133 districts. Findings are issued within 25 days of the registration of complaints, he said and added that this new initiative was started as a pilot project in January this year.
Abdur Rauf Alam, President, FPCCI termed the occasion a moment of great pleasure for the whole business community as the appointment of exclusive grievance commissioners would not only help curtailing people’s complaints but also to improve the confidence of business community.
He thanked Salman Faruqui for focusing on the issues of trade community and said that the community was playing its due role in uplifting the economic situation of the country.
Chaudhry Abdul Rauf, Federal Tax Ombudsman said that the Tax Mohtasib was also deciding complaints within a period of 45 days and since taking the charge of his office, the number of resolved complaints has increased up to 70 per cent.