By M Qadeer
LAHORE: The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry must become a stronger and more effective institutional voice for traders and industrialists, taking their legitimate concerns to policymakers and pursuing practical solutions instead of limiting itself to ceremonial representation, LCCI presidential candidate Ali Hussam Asghar has said.
Asghar, chairman of the Pioneer Businessman Group and a candidate of the Vision Alliance, said Lahore’s business community was operating in an increasingly challenging environment shaped by high energy costs, taxation and compliance requirements, expensive financing, infrastructure deficiencies and difficulties in navigating regulatory procedures.
He said an effective chamber could not independently determine government policy or exercise the powers of public authorities. It could, however, document the problems confronting its members, develop credible proposals, engage the relevant institutions and consistently pursue legitimate business concerns until they received appropriate consideration.
Asghar said this problem-solving approach would be central to his vision for LCCI.
He maintained that traders and industrialists were not looking for confrontation with government departments. They wanted an institutional platform capable of communicating their concerns effectively and helping build a business environment based on predictability, transparency and ease of doing business.
Chamber must remain accessible to members
Asghar said LCCI’s strength ultimately came from its members, ranging from large industrial enterprises and exporters to SMEs, wholesalers, retailers and businesses operating in Lahore’s traditional markets.
For that reason, he said, the chamber should remain accessible to businesses throughout the year rather than becoming highly active only when major events or policy announcements occurred.
He called for a structured mechanism through which members could report business-related problems and have those concerns categorised according to the relevant authority.
Issues involving taxation, energy, municipal infrastructure, regulatory compliance, market accessibility and industrial facilities, for example, required engagement with different institutions. The chamber should be capable of identifying the appropriate forum and following the matter systematically, he said.
Asghar maintained that businesses should also receive realistic information about what LCCI could and could not achieve.
The chamber should not promise outcomes that fall outside its legal or institutional authority, he said, but it could ensure that legitimate concerns were professionally documented, communicated and followed up.
Cost of doing business central to agenda
Asghar has placed reduction in the cost of doing business at the centre of his economic agenda.
He said competitiveness was determined by the combined impact of numerous factors rather than any single tax, tariff or regulation.
Electricity and other energy expenses, taxation, financing costs, transportation, regulatory compliance and administrative requirements can collectively determine whether a business is able to expand or compete.
For manufacturers, these costs can affect the final price of products. For traders, they can reduce margins and make commercial operations more difficult. For exporters, additional costs can weaken their position in international markets.
Asghar said LCCI needed to examine these issues collectively and develop evidence-based recommendations for policymakers.
He maintained that simply describing a problem was not sufficient. The chamber should explain its economic consequences and propose workable alternatives wherever possible.
Strong representation does not mean confrontation
Asghar said a stronger LCCI should not be misunderstood as an institution seeking unnecessary confrontation with government.
He favoured constructive engagement, arguing that government and business had significant shared economic interests.
Businesses generate economic activity, create employment, invest capital, contribute taxes and produce goods and services. Government, meanwhile, provides the legal, regulatory and infrastructure framework within which economic activity takes place.
According to Asghar, effective coordination between the two sides can improve policymaking.
He said LCCI should be prepared to support policies that facilitate economic growth while respectfully presenting business concerns where particular measures create practical difficulties.
That balance, he maintained, would strengthen rather than weaken the chamber’s credibility.
Regulatory concerns need institutional mechanism
Asghar said interaction with regulatory and enforcement authorities was another area where traders expected stronger institutional support.
Businesses have to comply with laws and legitimate regulatory requirements, he said, but compliance should be accompanied by clarity, consistency and proper procedures.
Where traders or industrialists raise concerns about the implementation of regulations or enforcement actions, Asghar said LCCI should provide an institutional channel through which such concerns could be documented and taken up with the competent authorities.
He stressed that individual grievances should be assessed on their facts and addressed through lawful and appropriate forums.
Such an approach, he said, could protect legitimate business interests without interfering with the lawful functions of government institutions.
It could also encourage better communication between businesses and regulators and help resolve misunderstandings before they develop into larger disputes.
SMEs need a bigger voice
Asghar said small and medium enterprises required particular attention because they often lacked the resources available to larger businesses.
A major company may employ professionals to deal with taxation, legal matters, regulatory requirements and government agencies, while a smaller trader or manufacturer may have to manage many of these responsibilities personally.
As a result, complicated procedures can impose a disproportionately heavy burden on SMEs.
Asghar said LCCI should strengthen its facilitation and guidance mechanisms for smaller businesses and help them better understand relevant procedures.
He also identified access to finance, technology, skills and markets as important areas for SME development.
According to his economic agenda, strengthening SMEs would not only benefit individual entrepreneurs but also support employment, supply chains and Lahore’s broader economic growth.
Markets and industrial areas require different solutions
Asghar said LCCI should also recognise that the needs of traders in commercial markets differ from those of industrial units.
Businesses operating in Lahore’s markets may be particularly concerned about parking, congestion, accessibility, loading and unloading arrangements and municipal infrastructure.
Industrial enterprises, meanwhile, may place greater emphasis on energy, transportation, utilities, environmental compliance and industrial-area infrastructure.
A responsive chamber, Asghar maintained, should understand those differences rather than attempt to address every problem through a single policy.
He proposed developing market-wise and industrial-area-wise assessments so that LCCI could identify priorities and engage the relevant authorities accordingly.
Policy advocacy should be backed by research
Asghar also called for strengthening LCCI’s research and policy capabilities.
He said a chamber representing one of Pakistan’s most important commercial and industrial centres should be capable of producing credible policy recommendations based on data and direct feedback from businesses.
Research could help determine how taxation changes affect particular sectors, how energy costs influence production, what obstacles exporters encounter and which infrastructure problems most seriously affect commercial areas.
Asghar said evidence-based advocacy would give greater weight to LCCI’s representations before federal, provincial and local authorities.
It could also help move discussions away from general complaints towards specific and achievable reforms.
Exports and investment require competitive environment
Asghar said strengthening Lahore’s business environment was also important for Pakistan’s wider economic objectives.
Increasing exports, attracting investment and creating employment required businesses capable of competing both domestically and internationally.
LCCI could help its members explore foreign markets, develop international business contacts and establish partnerships with chambers and trade organisations abroad.
However, he maintained that export promotion must be accompanied by efforts to improve competitiveness at home.
Businesses facing excessive costs or complicated procedures would find it more difficult to compete internationally regardless of how many overseas opportunities were identified, he said.
Members should judge chamber by results
With the LCCI elections scheduled for September 23 and 24, Asghar said the debate should ultimately focus on what kind of institution Lahore’s business community needed for the coming years.
He maintained that the effectiveness of chamber leadership should be assessed through measurable improvements in representation, accessibility, policy advocacy and business facilitation rather than the number of meetings or events conducted.
His broader agenda includes reducing the cost of doing business, advocating simpler taxation and compliance procedures, improving commercial and industrial infrastructure, supporting SMEs, promoting exports and strengthening institutional engagement with government.
For Asghar, these priorities are connected by a common principle: LCCI should stand beside its members when they face genuine business difficulties and use its institutional platform to pursue solutions through lawful and constructive engagement.
Lahore’s traders and industrialists, he said, contribute significantly to investment, employment and economic activity. Their chamber should therefore be capable of understanding their concerns, communicating them effectively and maintaining sustained engagement with those responsible for policymaking and implementation.
A stronger LCCI, Asghar maintained, would not be measured by how loudly it speaks, but by how effectively it represents its members and contributes to making Lahore a more competitive and business-friendly city.
