LAHORE, Sep 08 (APP):Finance Minister of Punjab Makhdoom Hashim Jawan said on Wednesday the Punjab government was establishing a Software Technology Zone in Lahore for export growth and to generate employment opportunities.
He was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of newly renovated LCCI historic Amin Hall. LCCI President
Mian Tariq Misbah, Senior Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan, Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry, foremer President Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman and President The Bank of Punjab Zafar Masud
also spoke on the occasion.
The provincial finance minister said that Lahore was going to be a major hub of business activities
in future. The government has received Rs 26 billion from the auction of plots of Central Business
District Lahore.
He said that the LCCI proposals would be made part of Annual Development Plan and a sum of
Rs 10 billion had been reserved for this purpose. “Role of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry
has always remained positive and gave good input to the government,” he added.
He said the government had adopted strategies to flourish the industrial sector so that it could produce
job opportunities at mass level.
Hashim said that private sector had an important role to play for the economy while the role of government
was to act as a facilitator. He said that both the government and private sector needed to change and
make innovations. Without industrial development, economic prosperity was beyond the imagination
therefore the government was taking sustainable measures to get the desired results.
He said the government had also ensured that laws, rules and regulations should be business friendly.
On this occasion, Bank of Punjab President Zafar Masud said that business community was the backbone
of economy, asserting that the bank was providing exceptional banking products and services on priority
to the business community. He also appreciated the efforts of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah said the government should take business community on board regarding trade and industry related decisions.
He said, the primary objective of LCCI was to protect the interests of the business community while remaining committed to the cause of development of the country. There were a number of issues that must be tackled on priority.
Mian Tariq Misbah said that the government should help business community to cope with the challenges.
“It is not only vital to accelerate the trade and economic activities but also a must for trust building between
the government and the private sector,” he opined.
He informed the Minister about various measures, the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry had taken
to facilitate its members including establishment of various facilitation desks of the government departments.
Earlier, Mkhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht, LCCI President Mian Tariq Misbah, Seniro Vice President Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan, Vice President Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry and President The Bank of Punjab Zafar Masud jointly inaugurated the newly renovated and historic “Amin Hall” of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
Former LCCI President Sohail lashari, former Senior Vice President Amjad Ali Jawa, Executive Committee Members Tehmina saeed Ch., Nusrat Tahir, Haji Muhammad Asif Sehar, Yasir Khursheed, Wasif Yousaf,
Saleem Asghar Bhatti, Malik Riaz Iqbal, Mardan Ali Zaidi, Ibrahim Sheikh, Shahid Nazir, Zeeshan Sohail Malik,
Sh Sajjad Afzal and Wadood Alvi were also present.
