Daily Times

KARACHI: A separate department is needed to create awareness among the public regarding the benefits of entering into tax net and having registration of various facilitating government institutions, said Asim Tiwana, director Domestic Commerce Wing, Ministry of Commerce, during a meeting with the members of the Lasbela Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

Lasbela Industrial Estates Development Authority (LIEDA) Managing Director Bashir Ahmed Bazai, and other stakeholders were also present in the meeting held in the Office of the Lasbela Chamber.

Earlier, the LCCI President Ismail Suttar gave a briefing to participants about the Hub Industrial and Trading Estate (HITE) having about 200 industries.

He said that the HITE phase – II should be declared a special economic zone (SEZ) keeping in view the investment potential of the area, particularly in the wake of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Asim Tiwana noted the proposals for taking up the same with relevant authorities to resolve the same.

The LCCI president pointed out that the industries and the people of Hub were suffering from shortage of water and distribution formula for the supply of water to Karachi and Hub should be reviewed keeping in view the increasing demands.

He said that proper sewerage system was needed for outside industries and up-coming localities at Hub for which the local government should submit a comprehensive proposal to provincial government.

He said it had become difficult to set up new industries and expand the existing due to shortage of electricity. The LIEDA managing director said that 10-15MW from K-Electric was immediately required to cater to the needs of the existing and up-coming industries.

In response to a question from LCCI Vice President Muhammad Siddiq Rafee regarding the formulation of labour laws in Balochistan, he informed the meeting that uniformity of laws in all the provinces was being ensured.

Regarding the availability of skilled labour at Hub, he said that the existing technical institutions should be upgraded in order to produce skilled workers in accordance with the need of industries.

Published in Daily Times, September 27^th 2017.