Govt lauded for focusing welfare of small traders

Islamabad: Small traders of capital city on Tuesday lauded the government for initiating moves aimed at welfare of the small traders, businesswomen and the cottage industry.

Steps taken by the government for setting up chambers for small traders and small industry in every district of country will help resolve many problems confronted by the business community, said Kamran Abbasi, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry.

Speaking to business community here at Super Market, he said that they have been striving for chamber of small traders since 2008 and now our dream is coming true as the formal approval of Trade Organisations Bill from the Upper House is expected within days.

He informed that an application has been moved to the office of Director General Trade Organisations to rename their chamber from Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Cottage Industry to Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry to ensure compliance with the bill.

Abbasi said that major beneficiaries of the new law would be millions of small traders, importers, and services providers for which the credit goes to Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Jahangir Badr, Chairman Senate Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali, Khurram Dastagir Khan and all the concerned officials.

He said that all trade bodies are currently functioning under the Trade Organisation Ordinance 1961 that has certain in-built inadequacies including lack of governance mechanism for services sector, female entrepreneurs, small businesses and cottage industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Jahangir Akhtar, Secretary General of the proposed Islamabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry said that government’s move will ensure effective dispute resolution mechanism and that every taxpaying trader would be eligible to become a member of the chamber while the membership fee would be mere Rs 200.

He said that chambers of small traders would take decisions on merit which will make things better for everyone.

The bill supports proper implementation of law, definition for territorial jurisdiction for trade bodies, elimination of fake associations, and facilitates the small businesses to prosper and promote good practices, said Akhtar.

The small traders demanded of the government to make the bill a law as soon as possible to win support of millions of small traders.