ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz said that he will take measures to resolve all issues of business community in order to enable trade and industry to flourish and contribute more effectively in the development of local economy.
Addressing a large gathering of the business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he said that comprehensive road-map has been worked out to develop Islamabad on modern lines and make it a model city of the country. He said that the road-map covers improvement of infrastructure in markets and industrial areas. All markets in Islamabad would be covered with security cameras under Safe City Project to improve security situation.
He said a Citizen Advisory Committee would be formed for the development of Islamabad with consultation and ICCI President would be made member of that Committee. He stressed that ICCI President should also be included in CDA Board to take care of the issues of business community. He said IMC in consultation with market unions would evolve a mechanism to develop markets in Islamabad. He said bureaucracy was the major hurdle in transfer of powers to IMC. However, with the keen interest of Prime Minister and Interior Minister, 22 directorates of CDA including health services, 1122, municipal administration, security, water management, sports & culture, sanitation, roads maintenance & environment were being transferred to IMC. Efforts were on to get transferred building control and estate management to IMC and with the transfer of all these directorates and allocation of funds from next financial, IMC would start working for the betterment of the federal capital.
He said a Waste Management Company would be set up and existing hospitals would be upgraded. Four mini hospitals would be established in Silaha, Rawat, Bara Kahu and Tarnol to reduce load on existing hospitals. He said health centres in rural areas would also be upgraded and compulsory rotation of doctors from big hospital to rural health centres would be introduced to provide better health services to rural areas. He said low cost housing schemes would be introduced for low income groups. He assured that all issues of trade and industry would be addressed in consultation with ICCI and market unions and urged that business community should support IMC in realizing these objectives.
In his welcome address, ICCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh highlighted the key issues of business community that needed urgent attention of IMC. He said most of the issues of business community were currently related to CDA, but the civic body was not paying due attention on the development of markets and industrial areas. He said broken roads in markets and industrial areas, poor sewerage & drainage systems, lack of parking, filtration plants & toilets etc. in markets were the major issues and urged that IMC should play its role in resolving these issues on priority. He said a Businessmen Club on the pattern on Islamabad Club should be established in Islamabad to provide club facilities to the business community. He said a residential colony or flats should be built in the federal capital specifically for the residence of small traders as these traders could not afford high cost of living in Islamabad. He assured that ICCI would fully cooperate with IMC in its endeavors aimed at developing Islamabad as a model city. Representatives of various markets also highlighted major issues of their markets and hoped that IMC would take measures to address them.
