By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE: Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) President Ali Hussam Asghar has started his tenure with an immediate focus on resolving business community issues, launching a complaint cell and holding a meeting of the Executive Committee (EC) on the very first day instead of following the traditional practice of congratulatory sessions.
Speaking during interactions with market delegates and representatives of different business sectors, Asghar said the new leadership was determined to focus on practical work, clear responsibilities and a timeline for resolving issues faced by the business community.
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He said the complaint cell was launched on the first day of his tenure to provide LCCI members with a direct channel to bring their genuine business-related concerns to the chamber.
“Anyone with a genuine reason can approach the LCCI,” Asghar said, adding that the chamber would take up genuine issues with the relevant departments and authorities for resolution.
He said the initiative was aimed at making the chamber more accessible to its members and ensuring that their problems were heard through an organised mechanism.
After launching the complaint cell, Asghar said he immediately called a meeting of the Executive Committee members on the first day of his tenure.
According to him, the move represented a departure from the traditional practice of beginning a new tenure with congratulatory meetings and informal discussions. Instead, the new leadership decided to bring the issues of different business sectors directly to the EC for discussion.
“On the first day of my tenure, for the first time in the history of the LCCI, the President called an Executive Committee meeting,” Asghar said.
He said issues relating to different sectors were discussed with EC members during the meeting, with the focus remaining on identifying problems and finding ways to address them.
Asghar said EC members were asked to go back to their respective sectors and start working on the issues discussed during the meeting.
“I told the EC members to go to their specific sectors and start resolving the issues,” he said, stressing that the chamber needed to work according to a timeline.
He said the purpose of the approach was to ensure that business issues were not merely discussed but also followed up through a structured process.
The LCCI president said traders, industrialists, exporters and representatives of other business sectors frequently faced regulatory, taxation, energy, infrastructure, trade and other challenges.
He said the chamber would work with government departments and relevant authorities to take up such matters and seek practical solutions.
Asghar said the LCCI leadership wanted to strengthen coordination between the business community and government institutions so that genuine problems could be addressed more efficiently.
During his conversations with market delegates, he reiterated his commitment to serving the business community in collaboration with the government and relevant authorities.
He said direct interaction with traders and business representatives would remain an important part of the chamber’s working approach.
According to Asghar, EC members should remain connected with their respective sectors and identify the issues affecting businesses at the grassroots level.
He said these issues could then be brought before the chamber and pursued with the relevant institutions.
The LCCI president emphasised that merely raising an issue was not enough and that the chamber needed to follow up on matters and monitor progress towards their resolution.
He said the new leadership would therefore focus on assigning responsibility, maintaining follow-up and working within a timeline.
Asghar said the complaint cell would provide members with an additional avenue to communicate their concerns directly to the chamber.
He added that the LCCI would examine genuine complaints and take up matters falling within the chamber’s mandate with the concerned authorities.
The president said the first-day EC meeting was also intended to give Executive Committee members an early understanding of the leadership’s working priorities.
He said the new approach would encourage EC members to take greater ownership of issues affecting their respective sectors.
Asghar said Lahore’s business community needed an institution that remained accessible, responsive and focused on practical outcomes.
He maintained that cooperation between the private sector and public institutions was essential for creating a conducive business environment and supporting economic growth.
The LCCI president said the chamber would continue engaging with market delegates, traders, industrialists and other stakeholders to identify emerging challenges and pursue their resolution.
He said the initial initiatives of the new tenure — including the complaint cell and the first-day EC meeting — reflected the leadership’s intention to start work immediately rather than spend the opening days on traditional formalities.
Asghar reiterated that the chamber would work with the government and relevant authorities to address business community concerns and contribute to putting Lahore on a path of growth and development.