Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani announced on Thursday that the Senate will provide the business community with opportunities to present views and recommendations to standing committees dealing with Finance, Economics, Commerce, and Industry. Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Gillani stated that effective economic policymaking requires meaningful consultation with all stakeholders.
Gillani emphasized that the Senate intends to promote a legislative and policy environment that protects legitimate business interests and advances national economic priorities. He identified taxation, regulatory challenges, policy discontinuity, and the rising cost of doing business as genuine concerns of the business community. He further noted that the Senate, as the House of the Federation, provides an institutional platform for examining these challenges and facilitating engagement between policymakers and stakeholders.
During the event, LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar urged the Senate Chairman to actively review business-related legislation and create a more business-friendly environment. Asghar proposed that the LCCI President be made an ex-officio member of the Senate’s economic standing committees to ensure direct representation. He argued that while the business community does not oppose regulation, certain laws have adversely affected the ease and cost of doing business.
Asghar highlighted concerns regarding raids, inspections, and arrests of businesspeople under various regulatory laws, stating that unnecessary raids and humiliating treatment are undermining business confidence. He proposed that violations should, where appropriate, be dealt with through financial penalties, education, and corrective measures instead of immediate FIRs and arrests. He informed the Chairman that the LCCI has prepared proposed amendments regarding the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA), the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Punjab Food Authority, which were submitted to the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly.
LCCI Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani stated that policymaking cannot remain balanced if the bureaucracy is heard while the affected stakeholders are not consulted. He advocated for a district-based economic development strategy, arguing that policies formulated centrally in Islamabad may not address the specific realities of different cities and districts.
LCCI Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain requested the Senate Chairman to highlight the concerns and proposals presented by the LCCI leadership before parliamentary forums. Additionally, Member National Assembly Syed Ali Qasim Gillani offered his cooperation on National Assembly legislation, citing his work to secure the passage of an amendment to the Trade Organizations Act to correct an anomaly that had reduced the tenure of office-bearers of 277 chambers and associations from two years to one year.
Former LCCI President Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman proposed that LCCI office-bearers and Executive Committee members be given the opportunity to visit the Senate to observe its proceedings.
