SCCI new chief vows to serve business community

PESHAWAR: Newly elected President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI, Hasnain Khurshid, on Thursday pledged to leave no stone unturned in protecting the interests of the business community and resolving their problems.

He renewed the commitment while speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the SCCI.

Leader of the Businessman Forum, llyas Ahmad Bilour, SCCI’s office-bearers, industrialists and traders were present on the occasion.

Hasnain Khurshid, who hails from an old and highly respected business family of Peshawar, said the additional taxation was unacceptable and asked the government to adopt business-friendly policies.

He asked the federal and provincial governments to take pragmatic steps for industrialization and promotion of businesses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The SCCI chief asked the government to withdraw the recent hike in electricity, gas and petroleum prices immediately.

“Tax-reforms are inevitable. The impediments to refund payments to the business community should be removed and the process expedited,” said the SCCI chief whose father, late Khurshid Ahmad, and grandfather, late Abdur Rab along with his brother, late Abdul Aziz, enjoyed a wide respect for their honest business practices.

He said the business community resilient against the global coronavirus pandemic and continuation of businesses despite unfavorable conditions amid spread of the deadly virus was highly admirable.

“Our top priority is to get relief for the Covid-19-hit traders”, said Hasnain Khurshid while unveiling his targets, adding policies would be devised in coordination with the business community.

The newly elected SCCI chief said all chambers would be taken on board for revival and stability of the provincial economy.

He said that the bolstering of mutual Pak-Afghan trade would be amongst his priorities, adding the issues of traders, importers and exporters would be taken up with the governments in Islamabad and Kabul for their amicable resolution.

Sherbaz Bilour, the outgoing SCCI president, informed the participants about activities carried out and the targets achieved during his last one year tenure.

The Businessman Forum head Ilyas Ahmad Bilour in his address attached high expectations to Husnain Khurshid as he had been elected unopposed president of the SCCI, saying the forum believes in selfless and indiscriminate services to the community.