PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Monday urged the government to announce a special economic relief package for the ‘terrorism-affected’ business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the budget.
In the media talk with different private news channels regarding the upcoming fiscal budget, the chamber’s acting president Ejaz Khan Afridi urged the government to present a business-friendly budget for the next financial year.
Ejaz sought a reduction in the ratio of taxes and opposed imposing the additional burden of taxes on existing taxpayers and poor masses. He furthermore asked to reduce electricity, gas tariffs and prices of petroleum commodities.
The SCCI acting chief said it was the dire need of the hour to provide relief to the business community in the budget in order to revive the ailing economy of the country.
Businessmen are faced with difficulties owing to high prices of electricity, gas and petroleum commodities, Ejaz said. The chamber’s acting chief furthermore asked for taking economic, industries and business growth-oriented initiatives.
He asked the government to incorporate the SCCI proposals in the upcoming fiscal budget so that relief should be given in light of the chamber’s recommendations to terrorism and natural calamity hit traders’ community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
If the industries and businesses would be functional and working positions that will bring stability in the national economy, Ejaz remarked.
He added that a prosperous business community is a guarantee for a better economy, so the government should give them relief and special incentives at every level.
In response to reporters’ various queries, Ejaz Afridi urged the government to take pragmatic steps through the upcoming budget for the removal of hurdles in the way of the country’s export and bilateral trade.
He suggested the signing of a free trade agreement and launching joint ventures between Pakistan and Afghanistan and asked both governments to frame a concrete and comprehensive policy in this regard. Ejaz Afridi said enhancing bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic countries is in dire need under the prevailing economic conditions, stressing the need to give special focus on this proposal.
