PESH AWA R: Members of the executive committee of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry have urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to materialise its commitments regarding reduction in infrastructure development cess.

They also called for concrete steps to resolve the traders` issues regarding electricity, gas, property taxes and removal of entry ban ongoodstruckstothe Industrial Estate Hayatabad Peshawar.

The demands were made during a meeting of the SCCI`s executive committee held here at the SCCI House on Wednesday, with chamber president Fazal MogeemKhan in the chair.

Businessman Forum leader and former FPCCI president Ghazanfar Bilour, SCCI SVP Abdul Jalil Jan, vice president Shehryar Khan, former presidents Riaz Arshad, Malik Niaz Ahmad, Fuad Ishaq, Adeel Rauf, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Faiz Mohammad Faizi and Maqsood Anwar Pervez, former SVPs Shahid Hussain, Imran Khan Mohmand and Sanaullah Khan, former VPs Ejaz Khan Afridi and Javed Akhtar, secretary general Muqtasid Ahsan, and executive members Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Mujeebur Rehman, Abbas Fuad Azeem, Ashfaq Ahmad, Sabir Ahmad Bangash, Gul Zaman Khan, Sultan Mohammad, Saifullah Khan, Shams Rahim, Abdul Nasir, Nadeem Rauf, Sohail Javed, Abdul Majid, Ihsanullah, Hasnain Sheraz, Affaf Ali Khan, Saddar Gul, Fazale Wahid, Rashid Iqbal Siddiqui, IshtiaqAhmad and Faiz Rasool.

The participants said the provincial government had promised to reduce IDC to one per cent, abolish double taxes, curtail ratio of property tax, lift entry ban for goods-laden vehicles to Industrial Estate Hayatabad Peshawar, and resolve matters related to cantonment board, electricity and gas departments, and district administration.

They expressed concern about the government`s failure to fulfil commitments and said traders were harassed during collection of property and other taxes, and were even arrested and heavily fined.

The participants expressed concern about non-implementation of decisions made during a meeting of the Special Investment Facilitation Council in Islamabad.

They decided that the SCCI would make contacts with relevant departments at provincial andfederal levels and convey traders` concerns verbally and in writing.

As many as 3,500 export goods vehicles of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have shifted to Chaman border due to the imposition of IDC, halting exports from the province, the meeting was informed.

As IDC has been reducedtoone percenton some items at Peshawar Airport, participants unanimously called for abolition of export IDC fromKP.

Earlier, participants paid homage to former senator and BF leader Ilyas Ahmad Bilour services for serving the business community and vowed they would accomplish his mission under the guidance and leadership of his son, Ghazanfar Bilour.

The participants also offered Fateha for Malako Store owner Haji Mohammad Bashir, Pak Bakers owner Syed Mir Hashim Raza, and wife of trader Malik Pir Baskh.