MULTAN: The Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) South Punjab Fuad Hashim Rabbani has said that taxes of the businessmen and industrialists drives the country’s economy and they are, undoubtedly, an important segment of the society.
He said journey of progress can be accelerated in the region by South Punjab Secretariat together with all the chambers and stakeholders.
The ACS was addressing executive committee members at the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) here.
He informed that recommendations would be sent to the government to reduce electricity tariff and fertilizer prices and to establish an SME-based industrial estate near the motorway in Multan. President MCCI Mian Rashid Iqbal, SVP, Nadeem Sheikh, VP, Asim Saeed, former presidents Khawaja M. Hussain, Main Fazal Elahi, and executive members of chambers were in attendance.
The ACS, welcomed the IT feasibility prepared by MCCI and said that Punjab government extending facilities to build it.
In view of the demand of the Chamber, a summary will be sent to the government to establish a wing of the Punjab Industries Department in South Punjab,he added.
He assured the members on the demand of adding a new desk in the Business Facilitation Centre established in Multan that the counters of other departments including quality control, excise and taxation will also be established in it. Mr Rabbani said The South Punjab Secretariat would do its utmost to get the act passed by Punjab Assembly regarding making Thalassemia test mandatory before marriage.
He expressed his surprise that this law has been passed in Sindh province while it is pending with Punjab province.
Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab also took notice of thalassemia patients not getting blood from Regional Blood Centre established in Nishtar Hospital Multan and said that the matter will be solved on priority.
He asked the members to set up a fund to promote the products produced by the students of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Engineering and Technology Multan and other educational institutions on a commercial basis. He remarked that the South Punjab Secretariat has prepared a plan to set up mango orchards with the support of the private sector on an area of 100 acres along the Chenab in Muzaffargarh and Multan.
Apart from this, 100 acres more in the riverine area will be planted under seed ball broadcast technique, using seed of local species.
MCCI president Mian Rashid Iqbal said government should reduce the electricity tariff, export subsidy should be restored, easy loans should be extended to agro-based industry and two new industrial estates be established in Multan, Wing of Department of Industries be shifted to South Punjab.
