ICCI to be given representation in CDA Board meetings

Islamabad:Chief Commissioner Islamabad and CDA Chairman Captain (r) Noor Ul Amin Mengal along with his team visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and speaking on the occasion said that the business community is an important stakeholder in the development of the city, therefore, president ICCI would be invited as a member to CDA Board meetings to include the voice of business community in CDA’s policy making process, says a press release.

CDA Member Finance Syed Mazhar Hussain Shah, Member Engineering Syed Munawar Shah, Member Planning & Design Waseem Hayat Bajwa, Member State Muhammad Afnan Alam Khan, Member Environment Captain (r) Anwar ul Haque, Member Inspection Riaz Randhawa, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Irfan Nawaz Memon and others were present on the occasion.

The chairman said that CDA will provide plots to ICCI for construction of expo centre, school and hospital while sports ground will also be given to the chamber. He said that CDA is making business-friendly policies to facilitate the business community. He said that commercial plots will be given to the business community on 33-, 50- and 99-years lease so that they do not face any problem in doing business. He said that commercial building drawings will also be approved within a month. He said that all the markets of Islamabad will be developed and upgraded on modern lines.

He said that to solve the problem of parking in the markets, 6 more parking plazas will be constructed through private sector by allotting them plots on lease for 33 years. He said that 9 sectors including car show rooms and transport terminals have been exempted from commercial fee and plots would be given to them on 33 years lease. He said that sanitation system in rural areas will be outsourced and public toilets in markets will also be built through private sector on leased basis. He said that powers have been withdrawn from building inspectors and a better system is being introduced. He said that all mega projects in Islamabad will be completed by July this year. He said that the Building Control Cell Inspectors who had issued notices in the previous dates would be suspended and legal action would be taken against them. He said that the issue of encroachments in markets will be addressed in consultation with ICCI and concerned market associations. He also announced CDA Liaison Officers for ICCI who will assist in resolving CDA and MCI related issues of the business community.

Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, president, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in his address, highlighted the key issues of the business community including representation of ICCI in CDA Board, allotment of plots to ICCI for expo center, school and hospital, allocation of sports ground to ICCI, development of markets on modern lines, provision of vegetable, fruit and meat shops in markets, addressing issues of parking, roads, sewage, sanitation issues, ensuring availability of fire fighting system for high rise buildings, graveyard for Christian community, withdrawal of BCS notices issued in previous dates, operation of buses on new routes in Islamabad in consultation with ICCI, expediting work on Bara Kahu Bypass, Abolition of BCS NOC for property transfer in family, avoidance of auction of commercial plots without infrastructure, reduction of additional story charges etc.

Faad Waheed, senior vice president ICCI, emphasised the need to dualize the roads of I-9 and I-10 Industrial Areas, run cheap buses for workers and establish check posts in industrial areas.

Former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG Zafar Bakhtavari thanked the Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Shehbaz Sharif for appointing an excellent and business-friendly person as Chairman CDA and demanded that the term of office of Chairman CDA should be given 3 years constitutional protection.