PESHAWAR - Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) ex-president Senator Haji Ghulam Ali on Sunday urged the federal government to announce a special incentives package for industrial development of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Pata.
Speaking at a function held at Tribal Area Chamber of Commerce & Industry (TACCI), he said that KPK government during the last four years completely failed in taking any initiative for the promotion of industries in the province. He said that the Prime Minister’s Relief Package for the economic activities in KPK was also going to lapse on June 30.
Senator Ghulam Ali maintained that time had come to utilise the services of private investors in hydel sector as well as remove bureaucratic hurdles so as to overcome the prevailing energy crisis in the country. Besides others, vice president, FPCCI, Zubair Ali was also present on the occasion.
He said time was running out of the government, so there was too much need to take measures to bring the nation out of the energy crisis, which is bearing negative impact not only industrial and trading sectors, but also on the general public. He said that the government is going to unveil budget for next financial year when the business community of the country in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata/ Pata in particular where industrial production had completely halted.
A special initiatives package for industrial development of KP, Fata and Pata should be announced immediately. Till the elimination of terrorism, the province will not be in position to compete with the industrial units of Karachi, Lahore and other parts of the country.
The federal government should grant relief in taxes and extension of the Prime Minister’s Relief Package for another period of three-years and five-year tax holiday for all newly established industrial units in KP and Fata/ Pata, he remarked.
To a question regarding the promotion of Pakistan India trade relations, he said that Pakistan has no problem in trade with India and China and called for trade all neighbouring countries in general and with SAARC countries in particular. He said that Pakistan has only two per cent trade with SAARC countries as compare to 23 per cent trade of China with the region.
He called for promotion of trade relations amongst SAARC countries, saying growing trade relations with Central Asian Republics are bearing positive results. Regarding difficulties in trade with India, he said that trade bodies should play role in this regard to live other issues on the governments. He said that the trade bodies of both countries should build up pressure on their respective governments.
He said due to industrial stalemate unemployment is growing in the country and urged the government to unveil an employment-generating oriented budget.  He also proposed the issuance of interest-free loans of Rs.0.1 million to Rs.0.5 million for small shopkeepers. He said that they will also rose in the upper house of parliament in this regard.
He said that despite the passage of four years the government had miserably failed in taking any concrete meaures for the resolution of energy crisis. Haji Ghulam Ali said that the people have big expectations from the budget and looking for resolution of major issues of lawlessness and terrorism.