In his welcome speech, President MCCI Mian Rashid Iqbal discussed a number of issues that industrialists are currently dealing with.
The Punjab government is actively promoting solar energy in response to the province’s energy crisis by allowing factories to produce 5 megawatts (MW) of electricity through a solar system, up from 1 MW previously.
The interim provincial minister for industries, commerce, skills development, and energy, made these remarks on Friday while addressing the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (MCCI) executive committee.
The Punjab government has taken proactive measures to address the energy crisis in the province by focusing on the promotion of solar energy.
He noted that the government was using every tool at its disposal to address the numerous problems that the industries in Punjab were experiencing.
The minister expressed regret that, whenever the Excise and Taxation Department decides to close a factory, nobody is happy about the decision and suggested that the Department speak with industries that are willing to pay taxes, such as public organisations.
He added that the provincial government was in communication with the federal government about the serious issue of factories closing due to energy and other concerns. He also mentioned that an RLNG-powered plant in Jhang was producing 1240 MW of electricity and that the government was taking action to use it to supply electricity to the industry.
The minister also brought up a number of other issues, such as corporate farming, agriculture, and the federal government’s 17 percent tax on animal feed.
He said the tax would only make things worse for an already struggling industry and that the provincial government was asking the federal government to reverse it.
In his welcome speech, President MCCI Mian Rashid Iqbal discussed a number of issues that industrialists are currently dealing with.
Aamir Khattak, the commissioner of Multan Division, and interim Excise and Taxation Minister Bilal Afzal were also present.
Both provincial ministers had separate meetings with representatives of DG Khan Camber of Commerce and Industry. M. S. Tanvir urged the city’s industrialists to establish an industrial estate there and identify a suitable location.
In addition to growing the industry, he claimed that the initiative would also result in job opportunities.
The minister expressed regret that the government had to import three billion dollars’ worth of cotton last year and that ginning and cotton factories were closing.
He explained that the government had focused particularly on cotton cultivation this year in the hopes that Punjab would produce 85 lac bales of cotton while Sindh and other provinces would produce 40 lac bales, which would save a significant amount of foreign currency.
The minister requested support from the business community for the construction of additional filtration facilities so that the public can have access to clean drinking water.