Industrial estate in Bahawalpur to start soon, says minister

LAHORE:Minister for Finance Punjab Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht has said that industrial estate in Bahawalpur will be started soon.

For the convenience of industrialists and businessmen, all business start-up facilities will be provided in the form of one-window service within the state. The road adjoining the industrial estate will be connected to the motorway. Concerns over ease of obtaining NOCs on land near highways and fees will also be addressed on priority basis.

These views were expressed by the Finance Minister during a meeting with a delegation of Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries led by MPA Afzal Ch here on Thursday. The Additional Chief Secretary South Punjab Zahid Zaman was also present on the occasion.

The provincial minister said that Bahawalpur is considered as a hub of education and other facilities in South Punjab. Industrial estate will make the region more attractive to investors in other districts.

The minister directed the Additional Chief Secretary to resolve the issues of the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industries in the South Punjab Secretariat in future. Later, the Finance Minister also presided over the first meeting of the committee set up for the promotion of Benefit Taxation in the province. The meeting reviewed the proposals for enhancing public trust through the provision of municipal, sanitary and other services at the regional level for the promotion of taxation and for citizens to voluntarily join the tax net.

Sahulat Bazaar Authority to be formed: A supplementary meeting of the Cabinet Committee on law was held at the Civil Secretariat under the chairmanship of Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Cooperatives Muhammad Basharat Raja here on Thursday.

It deliberated two agenda items. The meeting approved the draft law for the formation of Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority. It was decided to formally convert Punjab Model Bazar Management Company into Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority. Addressing the meeting, Raja Basharat said that the establishment of Punjab Sahulat Bazaar Authority would make it possible to provide affordable and quality essential commodities to people. The committee also completed consultation on the draft of Lahore Central Business District Development Authority Ordinance 2020. The law minister said that the establishment of the LCBDD Authority would give a new impetus to business development in Lahore.