Search
Close this search box.

Contact

Search
Close this search box.

Govt should incentivize businesswomen, says WCCI chief

LAHORE: President, Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCCI) Lahore Division Shazia Suleman has urged the government to provide incentives to the women entrepreneurs so they could play their active role in national economic development.

She was speaking at a meeting with members of Lahore Economic Journalists Association here Monday. Other members including Shughfta Rehman, Qasira Sheikh and Shaista Azhar were also present on the occasion.

She said that availability of liquidity is the most important factor hampering the businesses being run by women entrepreneurs. She said the government should announce special package to encourage business women. She stressed the need for introducing the Prime Minister’s Youth Business Loans (PMYBL) like scheme also for the women entrepreneurs.

Shazia Suleman said that currently the WCCI (Lahore Division) membership has reached to 1260 while every member is NTN holder and regularly filling income tax returns.

“We have been struggling to get our organization recognized by the government since 2003,” she said and lamented the non-cooperative attitude of the bureaucracy.

She pointed out that the WCCI had suggested carrying out of audit of the chambers of commerce and industry including the women chambers in the country to ascertain their credibility. In this regard, the Senate of Pakistan has constituted a committee which would examine the chamber’s function.

She further said the business women can also play role in enhancing the country’s exports but they are not given opportunity to attend trade fair and exhibitions abroad. On the contrary, she alleged that nepotisms in the government functionaries is on the rise as some influential send their families abroad to visit exhibitions and trade fairs instead of true entrepreneurs.

Shazia Suleman further pointed out that the WCCI has always been asked to submit its budget proposals and regretted that not a single suggestion was incorporated in the federal budget. The WCCI Lahore Division in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan is going to arrange an awareness programme on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor for its members, she added.

Business Recorder