Joint venture: Traders ready to help CDA with Islamabad Citizens Club

Businessmen ask CDA to explore option of public-private partnership for early completion of Islamabad Citizens Club.

ISLAMABAD:

Local businessmen on Saturday asked the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to explore the option of public-private partnership for early completion of Islamabad Citizens Club.

Presiding over a meeting of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (ICCI) sub-committee on CDA, ICCI Acting President Asad Farid said many entrepreneurs have shown an interest in partnering with the civic agency for the project. A greater segment of residents should have access to communal facilities and for this purpose we are willing to offer help, said a member of ICCI.

Committee members said they had taken up several issues with the CDA, including allotment of land for construction of a dispensary for factory workers and removal of encroachments from markets. However, all these issues were still unresolved.

In a recent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, chairman CDA told members that an ordinance is likely to be issued by the president for legalising public-private partnership in Islamabad for which a draft has been approved by the federal cabinet. Previously, there was no provision for joint partnership to develop sectors and other projects.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2012.