Lahore: The business community on Thursday requested the Punjab government to establish a trade portal facility for facilitating ease of access to the international markets, a news source reported.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Regional Chairman Abdul Rauf Mukhtar expressed his views on the matter at the chamber’s offices in Lahore.
He said that the proposed portal should provide information on import and export activities. Such a facility would provide local traders with a better understanding of international products – and hence increase competition.
Moreover, he asked the government to establish cottage industries for industrial estates situated in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, and Faisalabad. He remarked that these small-scale industries could be accommodated on existing land, or by procuring additional land adjacent to the industrial estates.
In response, Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) Chairman Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan said that the government is committed to facilitating the business community.
For this purpose, he said that several special economic zones would be established inside the province with an aim to enhance trade activities. He requested traders to invest in the agriculture and services sector.
