Commerce Desk
Islamabad: SIFC National Coordinator Lt Gen Asad ur Rehman Afzal Cheema said the process of identifying suitable land for a special economic zone in Islamabad is underway in consultation with the Punjab Government, and he hopes the matter will be resolved soon. He made the remarks while meeting an Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) delegation led by President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia.
Cheema assured the delegation that its concerns would be taken up with the relevant authorities. He advised businesses to submit regulatory and administrative complaints through the SIFC portal. He also endorsed the proposal for a state-of-the-art exhibition centre near Islamabad and encouraged investment in the Karachi Industrial Estate.
Zia called for a site for a modern industrial estate and an international-standard exhibition and convention centre in the capital. He raised concerns over State Bank of Pakistan debt recovery rules and high port charges, and urged a predictable economic policy framework with at least a ten-year horizon. Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha highlighted bottlenecks at CDA and FBR.
An ICCI delegation will visit SIFC next week to learn about its facilitation initiatives.
