Islamabad :Planning and Development Board, Government of Punjab organized a virtual consultative session on the Annual Development Program (ADP) for industries, commerce, investment, and skill development sector.

Addressing the virtual session of the Annual Development Program (ADP) for the year 2021-22, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal said that more allocation would be allocated in the annual development program than last year, around 150 billion to 200 billion will be added. He welcomed proposals of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) including setting up of Industrial Zones, IT Park, Ring Road, Expo Center and access road for the Rawat Industrial Estate. The virtual session was attended by representatives of the private sector, including the Chamber of Commerce representatives from Punjab and relevant government officials and representatives. The session had development talks with the stakeholders from the private sector for their valuable input to make the development program more focused, evidence-based and in line with the requirements of the industries.

RCCI President Mohammad Nasir Mirza in his address said that the participation of the Punjab Government, especially the Provincial Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Planning in the consultative process regarding the formulation of the annual development program in the budget is very remarkable and commendable.

He suggested that the government should acquire land for Rawalpindi Ring Road. Section four should be imposed. “The health sector is going through difficult challenges in the country and we believe that immediate and special funds should be allocated in the ADP for the health and pharma sectors,” he said.

Rawalpindi has clusters of manufacturing units for Pharmaceutical and IT center and we demand dedicated special economic zones for these key sectors.

Establishment of new industries, new sectors, and software technology parks has now become the need of the hour. More relief should be given in the budget to address the challenges faced by the software technology parks and construction sector, he added.