ISLAMABAD: Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has formulated the best traders’ friendly policies, which would not only help improve business and economic activities but would also provide employment opportunities to the people in the Federal Capital.
Mayor of Islamabad and Chairman, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Sheikh Anser Aziz expressed these views while talking to the media persons here at Markaz F-6.
Mayor said that MCI with the help of its elected representatives is committed to bringing the rural areas of the Capital City at par with the urban areas, however, he said that “ we are facing some difficulties as it is the first ever experience of municipal system in Islamabad”.
“ We are overcoming these difficulties and municipal system of elected representatives would be fully functional to shape Islamabad into a very beautiful city”, he remarked.
He said that “we have improved the financial discipline of the Authority and ensured good governance and transparency”. He said that right from the day one, it is our priority to pay heed to day to day affairs of the Authority, adding that management system has been improved and financial discipline of the Authority has been- consolidated due to the new and effective policies.
Anser Aziz said that commercial plots had been auctioned by the past regimes without the provision of facilities due to which the traders community faced great difficulties including delay in construction on plot, increase in the cost of construction material and very slow pace business activities in the city.
He said that in this regard he met the traders representatives, particularly with representatives of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI).
The outcome of these meetings was positive and “we have received valuable suggestions from the traders community, which would help improved our policies”, he added.
Mayor of Islamabad said that in the light of the traders friendly policies, no commercial plots would be auctioned without the provision of facilities.
He said that due to effective and commercial friendly policies, this year auction of commercial plots have broken the previous records, while traders community actively participated in the auction. He said that billions of rupees of plots have been auctioned successfully in a very transparent manner.
He said that due to the consistent increase in the population, he has directed the concerned formations of the Authority for auction of more plots to overcome the future need of the residents. He said that our policies would further strengthen the confidence of traders on the Authority as “we are successfully heading towards the solution of long standing issues including the issues of extension in the lease period to the traders and construction of additional storey”.
Mayor said that due to the traders friendly policies of CDA, different types of national and international brands are introducing their businesses, which has been wellcomed by the people.
Being Chairman of the Authority his priority is to promote business and economic activities as the geographic position of Islamabad is of immense importance, he added. He further said that MCI possesses the legal mandate of public private partnership, under which several projects have been initiated.
However, he added that mega projects would also be commenced for the residents of Islamabad in the next few months under the public private partnership.
