FAISALABAD:Facilitation cell will be established in Deputy Commissioner Office to resolve the problems of taxpayers in a dignified and on top priority basis, said Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant (Retired) Sohail Ashraf.
Addressing a gathering of the business community in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI), he appreciated the role of taxpayers and said that government should acknowledge their services by providing them silver, gold and platinum card in according to their tax liability.
He asked President FCCI Atif Munir Sheikh to nominate focal persons for this facilitation cell to manage its affairs. He said that this cell should work on the pattern of portal system clearly providing time line to each applicant.
The Deputy Commissioner termed private sector as engine of growth and said that all government departments are bound to facilitate them. He also suggested that President FCCI should formulate a comprehensive strategy for the productive working of the facilitation cell. He said that Faisalabad is an iconic city of Pakistan. He had already visited it but in a casual manner, Sohail Ashraf said, adding that this time being Deputy Commissioner he is critically scanning each and every aspect of the city.
He identified cleanliness and drainage of waste water and said that these issues would be resolved very soon. He said, “Community support is imperative to resolve the civic problems and in this connection, we must pool our energies and try to solve the emerging problems.” He said that all problems excluding shifting of Khurrianwala toll plaza are in his notice and would be resolved very soon.
He was impressed by the cooperation of the local industrialists and said that Kashmir Ghee Mill and Sadaqat Mill have taken their responsibility to beautify the Kashmir and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan underpasses. He further told that local ghee mills have announced to provide additional subsidy of Rs. 10 per kilogram of ghee in addition to subsidy of Rs. 25 announced by the government. “Thus, the local inhabitants would get subsidy of Rs. 35”, he added.
Responding to a question about FIEDMC, he said that business community has genuine grievances and he would hold a meeting in presence of FCCI members to sort out the issues of NOCs.
Earlier Atif Munir Sheikh President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) welcomed the Deputy Commissioner and said that Faisalabad is contributing 22% share in GDP in addition to catering 80% domestic needs of cloths and clothing. “Similarly, its share in total textile export is around 45%”, he added. He also underlined the importance of FCCI and said that in addition to facilitating its members, it played a major role in resolving local civic problems. He added, “FCCI played an instrumental role in starting direct international flights from Faisalabad and now we are trying to develop an independent civilian airport in this city.” He said that originally Pindi-Bhattian- Faisalabad motorway was designed with six lanes which was later on trimmed to four due to financial constraints. He stressed the need for restoring it with six lanes as it has become imperative due to heavy traffic load on this motorway as it has been expanded up to Gojra.
He also demanded that Faisalabad should be linked with Lahore-Kot-Abdul Hakeem motorway as it would reduce travel timing between Faisalabad and Lahore to one hour and ten minutes only. He also demanded expansion in Allied Hospital and Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology in addition to the repair and maintenance of Faisalabad-Chiniot Road. He also demanded that Chiniot dam should be built on priority basis to meet future needs of drinking water for this entire region.