Govt taking steps to resolve problems of businessmen: Dar

SIALKOT: The government was well-aware of the problems being faced by the business community and making all out sincere efforts for their early resolution, a government official said.

Talking to the business community at a dinner hosted by him, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said that the government was taking effective steps for the development of industry and strengthening the national economy by taking the business community into confidence.

The local exporters were playing a significant role in strengthening the national economy, he said, adding that a strong industrial base was vital for boosting and increasing exports.

All impediments in the way of exports promotion would be removed, Dar said, adding that the Sialkot exporters had written a golden history by establishing two mega projects, including Sialkot International Airport Limited (SIAL) and its own private airline, AirSial Airline on self-help basis.

He urged the exporters to establish the Sialkot Business Council with a specific agenda on how to increase exports from the area to $5 billion from the existing $2.5 billion.

Dar said that sewerage, water supply, solid waste management, traffic management and upgrading of parks projects worth Rs17 billion were underway, which would provide advanced municipal facilities to the people of Sialkot after their completion.

All the development schemes would be completed within the stipulated period, he said, adding that all the development schemes in Sialkot would be named after those who were paying maximum taxes.

The Kashmir Road underpass had been approved and the work would start soon. The University of Applied Engineering and Emerging Technologies was going to be built at a cost of Rs16 billion, he said.

The SAPM said that a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) was going to be set up over 1,000 acres of land in Sialkot.

A modern hospital consisting of 1,000 beds would be built at a cost of Rs6 billion in Sialkot. The government had released Rs3.5 billion for a new campus of the Government College Women University (GCWU) at Aimenabad Road, he said.

The Sialkot business community lauded the efforts of the special assistant for his strenuous efforts for the business community of Sialkot during the lockdown.

Punjab Minister for Special Education Chaudhry Muhammad Ikhlaq, Minister for Religious Affairs (AJK) Sahibzada Hamid Raza, Leader of Sialkot business community Riaz-ud-Din Sheikh, Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Qaiser Iqbal Baryar, AirSial chairman Fazal Jillani, Dryport Trust chairman Sheikh Naveed Iqbal, Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association Pakistan (SIMAP) chairman Zeeshan Tariq, Sialkot Tannery Zone chairman Raza Munir, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association chairman Faisal Mehbood, vice chairman of AirSial, Umer Mir, SIAL vice chairman Chaudhry Sarfraz Ahmed Bhatti and a large number of businessmen were present on the occasion.