Business community expects growth-oriented and industry-friendly budget: RCCI.

RAWALPINDI -- The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Sunday expressed the hope that the upcoming budget 2023-24 would be growth-oriented and industry-friendly.

RCCI President Saqib Rafiq while addressing the 8th executive committee meeting at the Chamber House, said the business community expects that a comprehensive industrial package would be announced which would help bring the ailing economy on the right track.

'Time has come to take firm decisions and adopt an export promotion strategy, set the right direction and we strongly demand that the basis of Pakistan's economy shall be on exports instead of imports,' he said.

The President RCCI hoped that the Finance Minister would introduce measures for promoting exports including incentives for export-oriented industries, facilitation of trade agreements, provision of export financing and the development of export-related infrastructure.

He said that the RCCI had always been vocal and demanded that the tax net must be broadened to meet the budget targets. There is a need to bring non-tax paying sectors into the tax net, he added.

Saqib called for taking all stakeholders on board for devising any policy framework and added that Finance Minister Ishaq Dar would engage all the chambers of commerce before finalizing the budget document.

'We want to present and discuss budget proposals, key measures and recommendations on various sectors ranging from trade, taxation, tourism, SME, agriculture, livestock, IT, non-conventional sectors, gems stone, smuggling...