Asad Umar assures resolution of rent control act soon

Islamabad:Member National Assembly from Islamabad and former Finance Minister Asad Umar said that demand for a balanced rent control act was a longstanding issue of local traders, which could not be met as yet and assured that the current national assembly would soon pass the amended bill of rent restriction act for Islamabad to settle this old issue. He was addressing business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Asad Umar said that during the previous government, PTI had presented an amended bill of rent control act for Islamabad in the national assembly, but the same was not passed into law. However, he said that the same amended bill was again presented in the current national assembly, which has been passed by the relevant standing committee of NA and hoped that the bill would soon be passed by the national assembly as well. He said that government has developed an understanding with the opposition for law-making according to which efforts would be made to develop consensus on bills that would streamline the process of law-making through parliament. He also assured that he would held a meeting with Ali Nawaz Awan, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on CDA Affairs to resolve the CDA related issues of the local business community. He congratulated the ICCI Office Bearers for assuming their portfolios and expressed best wishes for them.

Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that business community was facing many problems from CDA as the civic body was not resolving their key issues on time. He said that a new industrial estate for Islamabad was notified, but the project has now been shelved due to which promoting industrialization has become difficult in the federal capital. He said on the proposals of ICCI, CDA Board four years ago had approved amendments in industrial building byelaws, but the CDA has not notified them as yet. He requested Asad Umar to play role for resolving the CDA related issues of business community.

Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President and Saif ur Rahman Khan Vice President ICCI said that for the last many years, no development work has been done in markets in Islamabad due to which the condition of markets was not conducive for business activities. They said that government should intervene and direct CDA to start development works in markets.

Zubair Ahmed Malik, chairman Founder Group, Khalid Chaudhry, former Senior Vice President ICCI, Ashfaq Chatha, Ch. Nadeem ud Din and others also spoke at the occasion and gave many proposals for addressing the issues of traders.