New railway corridors to benefit K-P businesses

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on Saturday reaffirmed the government's commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the business community in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

He said this while chairing a meeting with a delegation of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), which focused on the key issues faced by the chamber, said a news release.

Haroon Akhtar assured the delegation that, on the directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, all issues raised by the chamber would be addressed promptly. He added that the premier was working actively for the uplift of small, micro and large businesses across the country.

The PM aide emphasised that all policies and efforts of the Ministry of Industries & Production were focused on resolving business challenges and strengthening the national economy. He highlighted that new railway corridors connecting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to Pakistan would bring significant benefits to businesses in K-P.

Improved regional connectivity, he added, would also help address challenges related to security, infrastructure and underdevelopment.

He noted that the upcoming National Industrial Policy would include comprehensive solutions to taxation issues and the broader concerns of the business community. Haroon Akhtar directed all stakeholders to submit concrete proposals for resolving their issues and formally included the Sarhad Chamber in various government committees.

The chamber delegation highlighted that Peshawar holds tremendous potential in sectors such as gemstones, pharmaceuticals and other emerging industries. However, they noted that inadequate finished product facilities and the lack of infrastructure were hindering the city's export capabilities.

The chamber informed the PM assistant that although the Peshawar Expo Centre was nearing completion, the project had suffered delays and required urgent government intervention. They stressed that high taxation, rising utility costs and inadequate facilities pushed SMEs in Peshawar to the brink of collapse.