Mandviwalla assures business community to resolve all issues

Business community will have to play the lead role by participating in all the affairs of the government as it was these businessmen and industrialists who know the ground realities and face all types of issues: Mandviwalla

KARACHI: Deputy Chairman Senate of Pakistan Saleem Mandviwalla has advised the business community of Karachi to bring all their issues including the zero rating, gas crises, sales tax and other issues to his notice and also give presentations about the same so they could better understand the problems and subsequently take them up with relevant Ministers including Asad Umer, Razak Dawood and others.

Speaking at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) on Saturday, Saleem Mandviwalla said that the business community will have to play the lead role by participating in all the affairs of the government as it was these businessmen and industrialists who know the ground realities and face all types of issues.

Responding to concerns expressed on dilapidated infrastructure of Site area, Saleem Mandviwalla said that it was totally incorrect that the Sindh government has been sitting idle since last 12 years as various steps have been taken from time to time to improve the infrastructure of Karachi but the situation was not 100 percent therefore, the business community of Karachi Chamber should join hands with the Sindh government under public-private partnership to improve the infrastructure of not only Site area but also other industrial zones which will not be opposed by any minister.

Replying to the problems being faced due to Sales Tax on Services by indenters, he assured to summon Chairman FBR and Chairman SRB in his office to discuss and resolve this matter. “I am ready to fully cooperate with the business community, just a phone call away, available in my office to listen to the grievances and go out of way to resolve the same”, he added.

He further pointed out that he received many applications from all over the country from businessmen who have been victimized by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) which should not be allowed to take action against the business community as the businessmen and industrialists were already dealing with other departments including the FBR, FIA, SECP and others hence, there was no need for NAB which should keep its activities confined to public sector and politicians only. Instead, NAB should facilitate the business community of Karachi by opening up a helpdesk at KCCI as done in Islamabad Chamber. 

He said that Chambers around the world have been playing an important role in government affairs but unfortunately in Pakistan, no governmental role has been given to Chambers which was unfortunate. The activities of Chambers must not remain confined to budget proposals and economic policies only but they must also participate in all the meetings and even the political activities as nobody knows the ground realities better than the business community and it was these businessmen who go through all kinds of troubles due to poor policies.

Chairman Businessmen Group & Former President KCCI Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairman BMG Anjum Nisar, General Sectary BMG AQ Khalil, President KCCI Shariq Vohra, Senior Vice President Saqib Goodluck, Vice President Shamsul Islam Khan, Chairman Site Association of Industry Abdul Hadi, Former Presidents and KCCI Managing Committee Members were also present at the meeting.

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