Former LCCI Senior Vice President Engr. Khalid Usman highlights taxation, energy costs, industrial competitiveness, exports, SMEs and stronger business-government coordination as key priorities for the business community.
By M Qadeer
LAHORE: Former Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Senior Vice President Engr. Khalid Usman, Chairman of the Progressive Group, has called for a stronger institutional focus on the challenges confronting Lahore’s traders, industrialists and exporters, saying the chamber must remain closely connected with businesses and policymakers.
Usman, who is associated with the PIAF-Progressive-BNF Alliance for the LCCI 2026-28 election, outlined an agenda centred on industrial competitiveness, lower business costs, export growth, taxation reform, SME support and stronger representation of the private sector.
The alliance’s current election platform describes the PIAF-Progressive-BNF combination as a unified platform for the 2026-28 LCCI elections, with priorities including trade and industry, exports, investment, industrial competitiveness, broader trader participation and institutional accountability.
Usman said the business community needs continuity in advocacy and greater coordination between LCCI and government departments so that concerns raised by traders and industrialists can be converted into policy proposals and followed through.
Business community facing multiple challenges
Usman said Lahore’s traders and industrialists were dealing with a combination of pressures rather than a single economic problem.
Energy prices, taxation, financing costs, regulatory requirements, infrastructure deficiencies and uncertainty surrounding business decisions can collectively affect the ability of companies to invest and expand, he said.
He called for a policy environment in which productive businesses are encouraged to increase investment, employment and exports.
Usman has previously raised similar concerns in his capacity as LCCI senior leadership. In June 2025, while serving as Senior Vice President, he called for expansion of the tax net alongside relief for existing taxpayers, protection of domestic industry, lower duties on imported raw materials, SME support and policies aimed at increasing GDP and exports.
Industry needs competitive energy costs
According to Usman, energy remains one of the central issues affecting industrial competitiveness.
Manufacturers need predictable input costs to plan production, calculate prices and compete in domestic and international markets, he said.
He argued that policies affecting electricity, gas and petroleum products should take into account their impact on productive industries.
In his earlier LCCI budget comments, Usman questioned why preferential electricity pricing discussed for new economic activities could not also be considered for local industries that contribute to employment and production.
He said industrial growth should be treated as an economic priority because manufacturing supports employment, supply chains and exports.
Export growth should remain a central objective
Usman said Pakistan’s economic strategy should place greater emphasis on exports and value-added production.
He said Lahore has a diverse industrial and commercial base that can contribute to international markets if businesses are provided with competitive production conditions and better facilitation.
According to him, export-oriented businesses need predictable policies, competitive energy costs, easier access to imported machinery and raw materials, efficient logistics and timely government support.
He said LCCI should continue engaging policymakers on measures that can strengthen export competitiveness.
Taxation needs simplification and coordination
Taxation, he said, should encourage documentation and economic expansion rather than creating unnecessary uncertainty for businesses.
Usman has previously advocated expansion of the tax base alongside relief for existing taxpayers. In June 2025, he also argued for reducing certain tax pressures and questioned measures that could discourage the documented economy.
He said businesses accept their responsibility to pay legitimate taxes but need clarity about their obligations and a system that is easier to administer.
According to him, better coordination between tax authorities and greater use of digital systems could reduce duplication and make compliance more predictable.
SMEs require greater institutional support
Usman said small and medium enterprises should remain an important component of LCCI’s economic agenda.
SMEs often have limited access to finance, technology, skilled manpower and international markets, he said.
LCCI can help by connecting smaller businesses with banks, government programmes, larger companies, technology providers and potential customers.
He said the chamber should also strengthen training and information services so that smaller businesses can improve productivity and explore export opportunities.
Stronger public-private engagement needed
Usman said economic policymaking works more effectively when government institutions consult businesses before introducing measures that directly affect production and trade.
He said LCCI should maintain a constructive relationship with policymakers while continuing to communicate the concerns of its members.
Business-government engagement, according to him, should be based on data, consultation and practical proposals rather than confrontation.
He said the chamber could strengthen its role by preparing sector-specific recommendations and presenting them to the relevant federal, provincial and local institutions.
LCCI should remain accessible to traders
Usman said representation should extend beyond major industrial groups and include traders, SMEs, manufacturers, exporters and younger entrepreneurs.
The Progressive Group’s current alliance platform describes its approach as a “Chamber for All”, with emphasis on broader trader participation, younger members and institutional accountability.
He said elected representatives should maintain regular contact with markets and industrial areas and understand problems directly from businesses.
According to him, the effectiveness of chamber representation should be measured by accessibility, advocacy and follow-up.
Regulatory matters require balanced approach
Usman said businesses must comply with applicable laws and regulations, while government institutions must ensure that enforcement procedures are clear and properly implemented.
Where businesses have legitimate concerns regarding notices, inspections or regulatory requirements, he said LCCI should help facilitate communication with the competent authorities.
He said the objective should be to resolve genuine disputes through established legal and institutional procedures while ensuring that businesses understand their compliance responsibilities.
Industrial infrastructure needs attention
According to Usman, industrial competitiveness is not determined by energy costs alone.
Roads, transportation, logistics, water, waste management, telecommunications and other infrastructure also influence the cost of production and distribution.
He said LCCI should work with industrial associations to identify infrastructure problems in specific industrial areas and approach the relevant authorities with documented proposals.
Area-specific advocacy, he maintained, can be more effective than broad complaints about infrastructure.
Investment depends on confidence
Usman said businesses need reasonable policy predictability before making long-term investment decisions.
An entrepreneur considering a factory expansion or machinery purchase needs to estimate future energy, taxation, financing and regulatory costs, he said.
He added that retaining existing investment should be given as much attention as attracting new investors.
According to Usman, encouraging existing businesses to expand can generate employment and increase production without requiring the economy to begin from scratch with every investment cycle.
Technology and productivity
Usman also emphasised the need for greater technology adoption across traditional businesses and industries.
He said digitalisation, modern machinery, improved production systems and better data management can help businesses increase productivity.
LCCI, he said, can facilitate connections between established companies, technology providers, universities and young entrepreneurs.
He added that technology adoption should be accompanied by workforce training so that employees can operate and maintain modern systems effectively.
Business complaints require effective follow-up
Usman said one of the important functions of a chamber should be to ensure that legitimate complaints do not disappear after being raised.
He suggested that sector-specific concerns should be properly documented and assigned for follow-up.
If several businesses report similar difficulties with a particular procedure, LCCI can examine whether the issue requires a broader policy response, he said.
According to Usman, this approach would make chamber advocacy more evidence-based and help distinguish individual disputes from systemic problems.
The role of the PIAF-Progressive-BNF Alliance
The PIAF-Progressive-BNF platform says the three groups have joined together for the 2026-28 LCCI election around a common agenda of business representation, trade and industry, exports, investment and stronger chamber engagement.
The alliance’s predecessor PIAF-Pioneer-Progressive grouping also contested the 2024 LCCI elections. Contemporary reports recorded Khalid Usman as Progressive Group president and one of the alliance’s corporate-class candidates.
The 2024 results showed the PIAF-Pioneer-Progressive Alliance winning all 15 corporate-class seats, with Khalid Usman receiving 1,380 votes.
Usman said the experience of previous chamber terms should be used to strengthen institutional continuity and ensure that issues raised by businesses receive sustained attention.
Representation should continue beyond elections
Usman said chamber elections should ultimately be about the future direction of Lahore’s business institution.
He said elected representatives have a responsibility to remain engaged with members after polling and to participate actively in policy advocacy.
The business community, he added, needs representatives who understand both the challenges faced by individual businesses and the wider economic implications of government policies.
Focus on production, employment and exports
Usman said Lahore’s economic future depends on strengthening productive sectors.
He said policies that encourage manufacturing, exports, investment and SME development can contribute to employment and economic activity.
He also stressed the importance of reducing unnecessary barriers to legitimate business activity.
According to him, the objective should be to create conditions where entrepreneurs can focus on producing goods, serving customers, expanding their businesses and entering new markets.
Message to Lahore’s business community
Usman said traders and industrialists should carefully examine the programmes and experience presented by all candidates and groups contesting the LCCI elections.
He said the PIAF-Progressive-BNF Alliance was presenting a platform focused on business representation, economic growth and institutional engagement.
His own priorities, he added, were shaped by experience within LCCI and the business community.
As Senior Vice President, Usman participated in LCCI’s policy discussions on taxation, industrial competitiveness and the federal budget. In 2025, he publicly called for measures including tax-base expansion, protection for domestic industry, lower duties on raw materials and stronger support for SMEs and exports.
He said the next LCCI leadership should build on such policy engagement while maintaining close contact with traders and industrialists.
“Business representation should not end with an election. It should continue throughout the term through consultation, advocacy and follow-up,” he said.
A business agenda centred on competitiveness
Usman’s proposed agenda brings together several issues that affect Lahore’s business community: energy costs, taxation, financing, exports, industrial infrastructure, SME development, regulatory procedures, technology and government-business coordination.
The PIAF-Progressive-BNF Alliance has presented these themes as part of its 2026-28 platform.
For the business community, the election will determine which representatives take these issues forward within the chamber during the next term.
Usman said his emphasis would remain on strengthening LCCI’s institutional role, improving communication with government and ensuring that the concerns of traders and industrialists remain part of the policy discussion.
