Industrialists seek role in trade policymaking

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) on Monday pressed the government to grant industry status to the packaging and corrugated sector, terming it a vital business whose significance has grown with the advancement of technology. The business community should also be taken on board while formulating policies for trade and industry and it should be given due representation in government bodies, it said.

LCCI President Kashif Anwar and other high-ups of the chamber made these demands in a meeting with a delegation of the All Pakistan Corrugated Cartons Manufacturers Association, led by Khawaja Imtiaz, and representatives of different markets. LCCI leaders emphasised that the corrugated cartons manufacturing sector held significant importance for all industries and the advent and widespread popularity of online businesses and e-commerce had further increased the importance of the sector.

“Corrugated cartons are the first choice for many product and services providing businesses due to their efficiency, durability, and dependability,” a statement quoted the LCCI office-bearers as saying. They stressed that the government should resolve all issues of the packaging sector as high utility prices and frequent increases in paper prices were posing serious challenges to the businessmen attached with the sector.

Utilities and raw material should be provided to the sector at cheaper rates as high cost of doing business was a major obstacle. A number of factories would be forced to close down their operations if the production cost was not reduced, they said.