LAHORE:A delegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), led by Regional Chairman Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi, held a meeting with Punjab Governor Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman here at Governor’s House on Saturday and discussed the business community issues with him.
The delegation presented suggestions for solving the problems facing industry and trade in the province.
The governor assured the delegation of solution to their problems on priority and said that the business community’s role was crucial for development of the country. The government’s responsibility is to provide a conducive environment for businesses, he added.
He said that the federal finance minister was implementing the government’s decision to end sales tax on solar energy systems, which would be processed soon.
The governor said, “We would also try to end sales tax on seeds. The cost of business has increased manifold. The government will play its role in providing facilities to the business community. The cotton crop is very important for development of the economy.”
The FPCCI regional chairman said that introducing a new special industry policy had installed 300 to 400 new industries within two or three years.
Qureshi said that agriculture had not been among the top priorities of any government. Pakistan had reached 13.9 (170kg) million bales in cotton production in 2013-14 but in 2020-21, it barely got 7.6 (150kg) million bales.
He added, “We should improve the production per acre of all our crops. There will be self-sufficiency and save three to four billion dollars in importing the commodity.”