KARACHI: President North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry (NKATI) Faisal Moiz has said that although North Karachi was the biggest industrial zones of Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) but unfortunately, all these SMEs, who play a major role in the economic development of the country, were facing a lot of hardships because of harassment and demand for bribe by the corrupt officials of Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOBI), Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and other government agencies.
“It is high time that these SMEs, who are dealing with 22 government agencies, must get relief. We have to raise a strong voice against this injustice and corruption so that the relevant Ministers could take notice and strictly deal with all the wrongdoings going on at SESSI and EOBI”, he added while speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI).
President KCCI M. Shariq Vohra, Senior Vice President Saqib Goodluck, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan, KCCI Managing Committee members and NKATI members attended the meeting.
President NKATI suggested that in order to minimize the grievances being faced by the industries and SMEs in North Karachi industrial area, the government must look into the possibility of introducing ‘One Window Facility’ as the businessmen and industrialists were fed up of dealing with so many agencies and cumbersome procedures.
Highlighting the achievements of NKATI, Faisal Moiz informed that under a Public-Private initiative between the Sindh Government and NKATI, the infrastructure of North Karachi industrial area has been drastically improved to such an extent that it was the only industrial zone of Karachi which easily sustained this year’s torrential rainfall and not a single inundating incident was reported from this particular area while all other areas of the city witnessed severe flooding and infrastructure damages.
President NKATI, while paying glowing tribute to Chairman BMG Siraj Kassam Teli for his dedicated efforts for the betterment of business community, assured that NKATI would stand shoulder to shoulder with KCCI and all the BMGIANs in their struggle for the rights of business and industrial community. “We fully support Siraj Teli who will always find us standing at the frontline to support his honest and sincere efforts being made for an improved business environment”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, President KCCI Shariq Vohra assured full support and cooperation to NKATI in resolving the issues caused by numerous government agencies. “The problems being suffered by the industrialists and SMEs of North Karachi be brought to KCCI’s knowledge so that these could be taken up with the highest authorities with a request to resolve the same on top priority.”
He appreciated the dedicated efforts being made by NKATI which has emerged as a shining star by collaborating with the provincial government under a Public-Private initiative for improving the infrastructure of North Karachi industrial area.
“It is heartening to see that a sum of Rs570 million was disbursed by Sindh government to NKATI for infrastructure development of North Karachi Industrial Area which was effectively utilized. This Public-Private Partnership was a wonderful initiative which proved very successful and it can also be confirmed by touring North Karachi Industrial area where the infrastructure, cleanliness, roads and street lights etc. are in a much better condition as compared to other industrial areas of the city”, he said, adding that NKATI has set a fine example for other industrial town associations to emulate while the Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah deserves to be appreciated for this exemplary public-private partnership”, he added.
He stressed that all industrial town associations must unite under KCCI’s umbrella and maintain close liaison with the Chamber which was the most influential platform for resolving the general issues being faced by the business & industrial community. “Staying fragmented would never yield results hence, we have to make collective efforts under KCCI’s platform so that the government could be compelled to resolve infrastructure, electricity, gas, water and other civic issues being suffered by Karachi since long, besides devising those policies in consultation with all stakeholders which create a win-win situation for everyone”, he added.
