Incentives linked to businesses documentation

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a dialogue here on Thursday urged the businessmen to get their businesses documented to receive incentives from the government, especially for small and medium enterprises.

They were speaking at the “Public-Private Dialogue” organized by the Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA) in collaboration with the Small & Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA - Peshawar).

Entrepreneurs from Peshawar, engaged in manufacturing, members of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women Chamber of Commerce, officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zone Corridor, KP Economic Zone Development Management Company, Small Industries Development Board, Pakistan Hunting and Sporting Arms Development Company (Ministry of Industries & Production), SMEDA and academia participated in the dialogue.

Rashid Aman, Chief of KP SMEDA, was the main speaker.

The speakers said in view of recent geopolitical changes in the region, Peshawar being the trade route, holds the potential to become a hub of economic activities for the Pak-Afghan trade and the trade with Central Asian Republics.

They said Peshawar and its surroundings must be developed with sufficient infrastructure to provide a conducive environment for the trade avenues to start, continue and grow.

Export processing zone establishment is one of the key requirements in this regard.

The business community highlighted the issues including, the shortage of industrial plots in the existing industrial estates.

They said small plots to install small units were not being offered.

It was suggested that a regulation may be formed to discourage and bar real estate investors to buy industrial plots for resale and profit earning. The businessmen called for uninterrupted supplies of energy, gas & electricity, etc.

The government officials apprised the participants about the upcoming development and facilitation being provided to the business community.