Daily Times

Mian Tariq Misbah and Nasir Hameed Khan are likely to become new President and Senior Vice President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) respectively this year. Mian Tariq Misbah also remained Senior Vice President of LCCI in 2015.

Both the candidates are being backed by the PIAF-Founder Alliance that is ruling the LCCI for last many years. The polling for the Corporate Class will be held on 25th September while elections on the seats of Associate Class will be held on 26th September. The polling will be held on 16 seats of the Executive Committee of LCCI. PIAF-Founder Alliance and Lahore Businessman Front are two main groups who are contesting the elections while chances of PIAF-Founder Alliance are high to win the elections. There are total 13849 voters in the list in which 3200 votes are from the Corporate Class.

The election campaign of PIAF Founder Alliance is being headed by Sheikh Asif, Sohail Lashari, Abdul Basit, Mian Shafqat Ali, Shehzad Ali Malik and Mian Ashraf. The campaign of Lahore Businessman Front is headed by group’s President Akhtar Hussain.

Mian Nauman Kabir, who is also PIAF Chairman, said that almost all major markets including Brandreth Road, Circular Road, Railway Road, Mcleod Road, Bilal Ganj, Plastic Market, Chamberlain Market, Anarkali, Samnabad, Jail Road, Samanabad, Ichhra, Hall Road, Steel Sheet Market, Akbari Mandi, Sabzi Mandi, Rang Mehal, Neela Gunbad, Urdu Bazaar, Ganpat Road, Badami Bagh, Shah Alam Market, Beadon Road, Timber Market, Landa Bazar, Anarkali and Ferozepur Road have announced to support the PIAF-Founders Alliance.

Talking to Daily Times, Sheikh Kashif Anwar, former Vice President of LCCI, who is also part of PIAF-Founder Alliance election campaign, said that they visited the Badami Bagh Market, Azam Cloth Market and some other markets of the walled city on Monday for election campaign. “We got impressive support from all the major markets of Lahore for our group that will sweep the elections,” said Sheikh Kashif Anwar, who is also President of Friends of Business and Economic Reform.

Moreover, the Pakistan Steel Re-Rolling Mills Association (PSRMA) also held its annual elections for the term of 2020-21. Amir Ali Kazani was elected as Chairman of the association. Speaking at the 59th AGM of the PSRMA Amir Ali Kazanis said Import Trade Price (I.T.P) value of Re-Rollable scrap is in excess by 140 Dollar per metric ton than actual value which must be re-valued at actual import value. He said that the FATA/PATA units are paying zero sales tax at import stage. It should be imposed at import stage on FATA/PATA. The GST system on steel sector has failed and FBR may revert to old fixed revenue which will increase FBR revenue by many folds.

The Chairman said Turnover tax to be reduced to 0.50% for the next three years, adding the requirement of CNIC for Rs 100,000 and above sales be deferred till June 2022 to be at par with the construction industry and be a part of th package being second most important allied industry. The minimum production of Re-Rollers revised to 110 unit of electricity from 130 units for manufacturing of one metric ton of steel bars and other re-rolled profiles of steel is not justified. He said PSRMA suggests separate bench mark for automatic mills and small-medium mills as the small mills consume more than 30 units. He said the issues being faced by PSRMA should be resolved immediately.

Shaban Khalid Senior Vice Chairman, Sufi Muhammad Azeem Vice Chairman Lahore Circle, Ali Asghar Barbrawala was elected Vice Chairman Karachi Circle.