Governor announces body to resolve traders’ issues

Lahore : Punjab Governor Choudhry Muhammad Sarwar has said that the development and protection of small traders and micro-businesses is the top priority of present government for creating employment opportunities and eliminating poverty in the country.

He was addressing a traders’ convention organised by the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran at Governor’s House on Friday. The convention was attended by the APAT representatives from across the country, including Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, Multan, Quetta, Pishawar, Bahalpure, Okara, Sahiwal, DG Khan, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Sialkot. The representatives of various markets of Lahore, including Shah Alam market, Gulber markets, Anarkali, Urdu Bazaar, Akbari Mandi and Hall Road, were also present.

The governor announced constitution of a committee to resolve the issues of traders and assured them to raise the issues with the chief minister and prime minister. He said that Pakistan was seeking to strengthen its economic position at the global level and small traders’ role in very crucial in this regard. He said that implementation of research-based policy for trade and industry had become a fundamental necessity. “We have to take steps towards developing the culture of research and documentation in Pakistan”, he added. He acknowledged the significance of small businesses and vowed to make Pakistan a business-friendly country. He said that the government had embarked on an ambitious plan to boost the economy by making interventions in key areas of economic importance with a special focus on small and medium enterprises.

APAT Central General Secretary Naeem Mir said the traders would continue to play their role while keeping non-political and neutral as the APAT always worked for the welfare of traders. “For the betterment of traders, we will cooperate with the government”, he added. He opposed the “non-professional” activities of Punjab Revenue Authority and Punjab Food Authority. He said the traders were receiving notices of thousands of rupees as Excise Department was doing whatever it wanted to do. Moreover, the FBR has become the machine of sending only notices. He opposed the government plan of imposing new taxes of Rs300 billion. He said that the traders’ businesses had already collapsed and it was impossible to pay further taxes. “We want to revive the economy with the cooperation of the government, but in the present uncertain scenario the new investment was difficult to make”, he said. He stressed the need for revival of micro and small businesses which were the backbone of the economy. The event was also addressed by Kh Shafique, Ajmal Baloch, Haji Latif, Javed Butt, Rauf Mughal, Tariq Jadoon, Mehboob Sirki, Haji Ata, Naeem Kapoor, Malik Amanat and Agha Adnan.

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