LAHORE: The Planning and Development Department, Government of the Punjab, and the World Bank Group in collaboration with the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore (MCL) organised a contributor engagement session under the Ease of Doing Business reforms agenda. The purpose of this session was to engage with the contributors and end-users of the services being provided by the MCL and the Lahore Development Authority specifically related to issuance of building permits for commercial warehouses. The participants were apprised of the recent initiatives taken by both the agencies to reduce time and procedures in order to facilitate the start-ups and new businesses in Punjab. The participants appreciated the efforts of the Punjab government in ensuring transparency and curtailing corruption. They were of the view that businesses will benefit greatly from the reforms and would find Punjab an ideal place to do business. Issuance of building permits is taken as one of the key indicators by the World Bank Doing Business report while measuring the business regulations across 190 economies. Published in Daily Times, January 21st 2018.