KARACHI – President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday said that promotion of business & industrial activities is the top priority of the government while effective measures have also been taken to attract investors. The Rs.1100 billion package announced for the development of Karachi will bring a major change in the city and will improve the infrastructure of the city as well as the infrastructure of the industrial areas of Karachi. He said this while meeting the presidents of seven industrial town associations of Karachi and other industrialists at the Governor House. Governor Sindh Imran Ismail was also present on the occasion.
In a meeting with the President, the industrialists apprised the deteriorating situation in the industrial zones and requested that the industrial areas be included in the Rs.1100 billion Karachi package to improve the infrastructure.
Nasim Akhtar, President North Karachi Association of Trade & Industry (NKATI), who was among those who called on the President, told President Arif Alvi that if the government wanted Karachi to develop, it would solve power, gas and water issues on priority basis, because the industrialists are facing great difficulties in continuing their production activities due to load shedding of electricity and gas, water shortage and many other issues.
NKATI president requested the President Arif Alvi to convene meetings with real business representatives at least twice a month, to which President Arif Alvi said that he would try to arrange regular meetings with the business community.
President Arif Alvi said that he would try his best to solve the problems of electricity, gas and water facing the industrial areas of Karachi while the issue of GDC was also being worked on. He asked the industrialists to give PC-1 worth Rs.2 billion for each zone the improvement of infrastructure, only after which any progress is possible for its approval from the Karachi package. He also announced to provide 2 fire brigade vehicles to each industrial zone.
Sadiq Mohammad, CEO, North Karachi Industrial Development & Management Company (NKIDMC) and Faraz Mirza, Chairman Board, said that they were grateful to President Arif Ali for trusting the development companies. NKIDMC will soon provide PC-1 of North Karachi Industrial area
Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, in response to the complaints about sales tax refund by the industrialists, said that the doors of the Governor House are open for the business & industrial community to come here whenever they want and highlight their problems so that their problems can be solved on time. He will also make every effort to resolve issues related to sales tax refunds.
