KARACHI – Mr. Khalid Maqbool Siddique, Convener MQM, Amin-ul-Haq, Federal Minister for IT & Telecom and Mr. Jawed Hanif Khan, MPA visited FPCCI to invite the office bearers of FPCCI to attend the joint Session of Political & Economic Stakeholders of Karachi on Black LG Law by Government of Sindh on Wednesday, January 12th 2022 at Local Hotel in Karachi.
MQM convener gave background of the changes made in the LG law for gradual transfer of administrative powers from mayor and local government to Provincial Government. He said that FPCCI being the Apex body representing the trade and industry and service sector of Pakistan should play an effective role in providing us improving and changing amendment required for the better service delivery to the different sub sectors of the Economy including their presence in Board of Governors and in advisory councils to guide politicians as how best the serves delivery to businessmen can be provided in terms of Ease of Doing business and helping businessmen to have access to the required business doing enabling environment.
Mr. Amin ul Haq, Federal Minister informed that being the elected member in parliament from Karachi with your votes I am taking up the issues related to Mini budget measures, which are adversely affecting the businessmen. He said that we are coalition partner but yet we cannot forget that we are elected by your votes and we are your representative in lower and upper house. He further informed that MQM has submitted his reservations on various issues in respect of increase in sales tax rates, in specific IT items.
He further added that we are planning to have interaction with you on sustainable bases in respect of trade affecting issues handled by the Federal Government. Therefore, we are seeking your participation in the discussion on Black LG law by Government of Sindh by recognizing you as necessary economic stakeholders.
Mr. Jawed Hanif, MPA talked about the importance of Karachi to deserve the merit of higher ADB allocation for development which presently has been limited to Rs. 26 Billion on project basis against the ADB of Rs. 1500 Billion.
President FPCCI responding on the invitation said that we take it as a positive approach by MQM leadership to acknowledge us as necessary Economic Stakeholders.
Engr. M. A. Jabbar, Former Vice President FPCCI on the occasion that the best government is at door step and universally in democratic societies the function and power are delegated to the local governance, which had seen the start about two decades back and the principle of local governance for the accountability remains a tier of management by Mayors.
Mr. Khurram Saeed, Former Vice President, Mr. Hanif Lakhany, Vice President FPCCI, Mr. Shoukat Sulaiman Omerson a well-known social worker who has been elected Vice President, Mr. Sultan Rehman, coordinator FPCCI head office Karachi, Mr. Haji Yaqoob, elected Vice President FPCCI and Mr. Jamal Ud Din Achakzai elected Vice President FPCCI also participated in the meeting and had consensus that MQM will provide the paper highlighting the comparisons between the proposed Black LG law by Sindh Government and the required law which would also provide trade facilitation tools to the businessmen through the law wherein the Businessmen and the elected persons including mayors of the cities will work together to squeeze the difference as the local government at the door step will be easier to be approached and we can also seek the enforcement of LG powers to improve the infrastructure of Urban cities in order to provide incentivized climate for conducting the business.
