ISL AMABAD: A parliamentary committee on Monday gave in-principle approval for the establishment of district-level chambers of commerce across the country, while linking final endorsement to input from the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

The decision came during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, chaired by MNA Jawed Hanif Khan at Parliament House. The committee discussed a range of issues, including the proposed decentralisation of chambers of commerce, the government`s motor vehicle import policy, and the Pakistan-US Tariff Agreement.

Deliberating on the existing framework under the Companies Act 2013 and earlier amendments that allowed the formation of women`s chambers (in 2006 and 2009), members observed that KCCI`s centralised structure was limiting access to services for Karachi`s vast business community. With over 350,000 registered businesses in the city, lawmakers said districtlevel chambers could improve service delivery, expand business facilitation, and broaden the tax base.

The committee agreed that district chambers would promote inclusivity, but stressed the need to hear KCCI`s perspective before reaching a final decision. The chairman directed the Director General of Trade Organisations (DGTO) to invite KCCI representatives to the next session, noting that the move shouldbebased onbroad consensus.

Several representatives from chambers seeking licences were also present and raised their concerns during the proceedings.

On the issue of vehicle imports, the committee raised objections over the Engineering Development Board`s (EDB) involvement in licencing, noting that its mandate is limited to manufacturing. It recommended that import licencing responsibilities be shifted to the Ministry of Commerce.