PESHAWAR: Terming the development of the industrial and trade sectors essential for tackling unemployment, Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur on Tuesday assured the businessmen that their issues facing the community would be addressed on a priority basis.
He was talking to a delegation of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries called on him at the Chief Minister’s House. The delegation apprised him in detail of the challenges faced by the industrialists and business community of the province., said a handout.
The chief minister stated that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa offered a highly conducive environment for investment, and investors should invest without hesitation, as there were vast opportunities across various sectors. “The provincial government will extend all possible support to investors,” he assured.
The chief minister invited industrialists to also invest in the mining sector, mentioning that the provincial government has established its own mining company to modernize and develop the sector. Additionally, he announced that a new law is being introduced to provide all necessary facilities online through a one-window system, making business operations easier.
He said that a provincial transmission line was being laid to provide affordable electricity to industries from the hydel power project of the provincial government. “In the coming years, nearly 800 megawatts of electricity will be generated from under-construction Hydro Power Projects in the province,” he added.
The chief minister also revealed that a new lease policy is being introduced to facilitate investment in projects with confidence. Additionally, commercial plazas of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Peshawar would be completed by June this year.
He maintained that the industrialists would be provided with tax relief in order to promote industrial growth in the province and assured that issues related to federal taxes faced by businesses and traders would be raised with the federal government.
Similarly, he said that seven new underpasses would be constructed to address traffic congestion in Peshawar.The delegation expressed their gratitude to the chief minister for issuing directives to resolve industrial and business-related issues, and assured their full support to the government in the development and progress of the province.