Economic growth is priority of KP Govt: Barrister Saif

Peshawar
Advisor to the Chief Minister on Information, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, visited the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industries. On this occasion, Group Leader Malik Mehr Elahi, Chamber President Shakeel Ahmed Khan Sarraf, Senior Vice President Haji Talah Muhammad, Vice President Zohaib Arif, and Spokesperson of Tanzeem-e-Tajiran Shehzad Ahmed Siddiqui warmly welcomed him. Chamber officials, representatives from various markets of Peshawar, and a large number of traders also participated.
Malik Mehr Elahi and Shakeel Ahmed Sarraf briefed the Advisor on the problems faced by the trader community, stating that under the guise of anti-encroachment drives, the properties and businesses of traders had been damaged. They highlighted that the shops located at Shahi Katha are being declared illegal, despite the fact that these shops have existed since the British era, with registry documents dating back to before the creation of Pakistan. Only 200 shops belong to the Metropolitan Corporation, from whose rents salaries and pensions of employees are paid. Demolition of the Shahi Katha shops will force 5,500 families into starvation. The traders emphasized that they do not object to operations against encroachments but strongly object to the procedure adopted.
Speaking on traffic issues, it was noted that traffic jams persist on major city roads despite the presence of traffic wardens, as the wardens are more focused on issuing fines rather than ensuring smooth traffic flow. Traders also expressed concerns over the excessive taxes being collected by various provincial departments, particularly criticizing the new sanitation tax imposed by the Labor Department and WSSP, calling it a burden on both traders and the public. They stressed that reforms in the taxation system are inevitable so that businesses and ordinary citizens are not directly affected.
The traders requested the Advisor to raise their concerns with the Federal Government, drawing attention to the sugar crisis, the imposition of taxes in FATA and PATA, and the issue of prolonged power outages, which are severely affecting not only business activities but also industrial production.
After listening attentively, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif assured the trader community that their issues would be resolved. He stated that he would instruct the relevant departmental secretaries to immediately address the traders’ reservations and problems. He also announced that a delegation of the Peshawar Chamber would be facilitated to meet the Chief Minister so that small traders could directly present their proposals and play their role in the improvement of the provincial economy.
Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif remarked that in any country, when traders prosper, the nation prospers. The trader community is the backbone of the national economy, and if they are harmed, the economy weakens. He reiterated that the top priority of the provincial government is to ensure the growth of business and the economy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
At the end of the ceremony, the officials of the Peshawar Chamber expressed gratitude to the Advisor and presented him with a commemorative shield.