Traders want parking plots auctioned to private sector

MCI administrator assures industrialists of resolving issues

ISLAMABAD:

Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, the administrator of the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), has expressed resolve to resolve problems being faced by traders in the federal capital.

During an interactive session with the business community at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) the other day, she said many issues highlighted by the business community were related to the Capital Development Authority, however, she would sit with the CDA's top brass to resolve problems of traders and industrialists to facilitate them for ease of doing business.

In the meeting, traders and industry persons spoke of various issues, including an exorbitant hike in property tax, a rise in trade license fees and board tax. She assured them that she would look into these issues to find out their optimum solutions.

Hashmi said she would take F-10 Markaz as a pilot project for the removal of encroachments and added things would be taken forward to find solutions with joint efforts.

Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan said most of the traders and industrialists of Islamabad were facing common issues and close cooperation of the MCI was needed to address them.

He said called for auctioning parking plots to the private sector for the construction of parking plazas. "Else build them on Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis. This will also generate sufficient revenue for the civic bodies," he added.

He also called for reducing property tax to make it affordable while trade license fee and board tax also need to be rationalised to save traders from unnecessary problems.

He urged for constructing more parks for citizens, besides construction of town hall in Islamabad for holding meetings and functions.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2021.