ICCI asks CDA to initiate development work in markets

Islamabad :The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday urged the Capital Development Authority (CDA ) to form a task force for undertaking development work in the federal capital''s markets on priority for smooth business activities.

ICCI President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, Senior Vice President Tahir Abbasi and Vice President Saif ur Rahman Khan, in a joint statement, said the CDA was responsible to carry out development works in Islamabad.

They also appealed to Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on CDA Affairs Ali Nawaz Awan to push the civic body for early start of development works in the local markets.

They said for the last four years, the CDA had not done any major development work in any market of the capital citing insufficient funds. However, the civic body had increased property tax and other charges, in addition to earning billions of rupees from auction of plots that should be used on welfare works, they added.

They said the markets needed better sanitation, repair of footpaths, availability of car parking and other facilities, whose absence was causing problems for traders.

They said the CDA had planned to construct multi-storey parking plazas in the markets, but no progress had been made to that effect so far. The parking problems had aggravated in the markets, especially in Blue Area, sectors F-6 and F-10, they added.

The civic body, they said, should accelerate its efforts to improve infrastructure in the markets for facilitating the growth of business activities.