Lieutenant General Asad ur Rehman Afzal Cheema, National Coordinator of Pakistan's Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), says the search for suitable land for a special economic zone in Islamabad is under way in consultation with the Punjab Government. He said he hopes the matter will be resolved at the earliest. 1 The article names no site and gives no size, cost, developer or timetable. 1
Cheema spoke to a delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by its president, Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia. Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha and Secretary General Ghulam Murtaza were also in the delegation. The account comes from a press release the ICCI issued on Friday. 1 Zia asked for a suitable site for a modern industrial estate in Islamabad and for an international-standard exhibition and convention centre in the capital. 1 Cheema endorsed the proposal for an exhibition centre near Islamabad and pointed to the investment potential of the Karachi Industrial Estate. 1
Zia also raised State Bank of Pakistan regulations on debt recovery and high port charges, which he said are making things difficult for businesses. He asked for an economic policy framework with a horizon of at least ten years. 1 Cheema said the business community can submit regulatory and administrative complaints through the SIFC portal. The Council refers them to the relevant departments and authorities for action. 1
