LAHORE - The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on strong protest of its opposition group, has decided to bring down processing fee for Chinese visa.

The LCCI new office-bearers, in their maiden meeting, have decided to cut down the service charges for the visa of China, but did not mention that how much fee has been actually reduced.

Market sources said that presently, Chinese embassy does not charge any fee for its visa from Pakistani businessmen but when application is forwarded by the members through LCC platform, the chamber charges fee in the range of Rs10,000 to Rs40,000 in different categories.

The leadership of Lahore Businessmen Front, the opposition group of the LCCI, addressing a press conference the other day, had threatened the ruling group of the LCCI (PIAF-Founders Alliance) to move to the court against this illegal charging of the Chamber.

The LBF had also contested the election with the manifesto of ending these illegal financial charges of visa fee by the Lahore Chamber.

Following the protest, the new-office-bearers, instead of eliminating the visa process charges, have just reduced them to some extent.

According to a press release, the LCCI new office-bearers including President Almas Hyder, Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President Fahim ur Rehman Sehgal have decided to adopt austerity measures and bring down processing fee for China visa. They said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry is the first chamber of the country that has taken the initiative of reduction in processing fee for China visa.

They were of the view that austerity is need of the hour and we would not be able to cope with ongoing economic challenges unless and until unnecessary expenditures are done away with.

About reduction in fees for China visa, they said that this measure has been taken to give relief to its members. They said that fee reduction for China visa is part of the endeavors aimed at promotion of external trade of the country. They said that Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry would be run professionally.

Meanwhile, president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry Almas Hyder, Senior Vice President Khawaja Shahzad Nasir and Vice President Fahim ur Rehman Sehgal have pledged to make LCCI a strong platform for a good liaison between government and the business community.

They were talking to a delegation of traders here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

While calling for a meaningful collaboration between government and the business community, the LCCI President Almas Hyder said that both are economic partners and good & balanced relations between the government and the business community is a key to success. In today’s global scenario, businessmen are the driving force of the economy therefore government should shape the business atmosphere in the favor of trade and economic activities.