MIRPUR, AJK: Mirpur AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI), President Umar Shehzad Jiral has called upon the AJK government to take immediate steps for the survival of the local industrial sector through correcting the collapsed infrastructure of the Industry Estates in industrial districts of AJK.
He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Kashmir Press Club Mirpur-AJK journalists team who met him under the leadership of the club’s President, Syed Abid Hussain Shah.
“More than four hundred industrial units used to work in two industrial estates in Mirpur in the past which have shrinked to only fifty to sixty by now because of the poor policies of the authorities”, Jiral underlined.
The MCCI President observed that many more units were likely to stop working. “This is a very alarming situation and I have informed the AJK Chief Secretary time and again but still the result is zero, ” he added.
The newly elected KPC president congratulated the newly elected office bearers of the MCCI and expressed his good wishes.
Arif Zia, member of the executive body of the chamber of commerce was also present on this occasion.
He said that the issues of fire brigade, water supply, security arrangements and electricity in the local industrial estates could not be resolved so far.
He further said that one window-type swift measures were indispensable to run the industry and attract investors, adding Individuals’ jobs could be created through ensuring the survival of the existing operative units.
But since the existing factories are getting closed down, unemployment would resultantly increase, he feared.
The president MCCI urged the AJK government to fix its institutions to prevent tax evasion and as such the evasion would end automatically.
Jirral pointed out that thousands of youth have become unemployed due to the closure of the industry.
Umar Shehzad Jaral said that the role of the media being the fourth pillar of the state had always been exemplary and significant. He further said that the local journalist community had always done an exemplary job by raising need of early solution of the Kashmir issue, local problems and the problems of traders and industrialists.
