By M Qadeer
LAHORE — Former Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Executive Committee member and Patron-in-Chief of the Multan Road Industrial and Traders Association (MARITA) Arshad Chaudhry has said that resolving the problems of traders and strengthening the voice of the business community should remain a top priority for business representative institutions.
In an interview, Chaudhry discussed the challenges confronting traders and industrialists, including taxation, energy costs, regulatory issues, economic uncertainty and the need for stronger coordination between the private sector and government.
He said business organisations should not limit themselves to raising concerns but should also present practical proposals for resolving problems faced by their members.
Q: What are the major challenges facing the business community today?
Arshad Chaudhry: The business community is facing challenges on several fronts. Rising operational costs, taxation, energy prices, regulatory requirements and uncertainty surrounding economic policies are putting pressure on businesses.
Traders and industrialists need a stable environment in which they can plan their businesses and make investment decisions with confidence.
The business community has always demonstrated resilience, but businessmen cannot work effectively when policies remain unpredictable. Stability and continuity are essential for investment, employment and economic growth.
Q: As a former LCCI Executive Committee member, how do you view the role of business chambers?
Chaudhry: A chamber of commerce has a very important responsibility because it serves as a bridge between the business community and government institutions.
During my tenure as an LCCI Executive Committee member, I understood closely the importance of taking traders’ issues to the relevant forums.
The chamber should remain accessible to its members and should follow up on their problems. Raising an issue once is not enough. Effective representation requires continuous engagement until a practical solution is found.
Q: What should be the priority of business organisations?
Chaudhry: Their first priority should be the welfare and legitimate interests of the business community.
Whether it is a taxation issue, electricity costs, regulatory difficulty or a problem with a government department, businessmen need an institution that can represent them effectively.
Business organisations should also maintain regular communication with their members so that their policies and demands reflect the actual problems being faced in the markets and industrial areas.
Q: You are Patron-in-Chief of MARITA. What problems do industrialists and traders on Multan Road face?
Chaudhry: The Multan Road area has significant commercial and industrial activity, and businesses operating here face many practical challenges.
Infrastructure, traffic, energy supply, taxation, regulatory procedures and other civic issues can directly affect business operations.
As Patron-in-Chief of the Multan Road Industrial and Traders Association, I believe that the concerns of businesses in this important commercial and industrial corridor should be presented in an organised manner before the relevant authorities.
The objective should be to facilitate businesses and create an environment where industrial and commercial activity can expand.
Q: How can government-business relations be improved?
Chaudhry: Regular consultation is the key.
The government has its own responsibilities, while businessmen understand the practical impact of economic policies because they deal with those policies every day.
Before introducing major measures affecting businesses, the government should consult representatives of the private sector.
At the same time, the business community should present its demands responsibly and offer practical recommendations.
Constructive dialogue can help both sides understand each other’s concerns and develop workable solutions.
Q: What are traders’ concerns about taxation?
Chaudhry: Taxation is among the most important issues for the business community.
Businesses understand that the government requires revenue to run the country, but the tax system should be simple, transparent and predictable.
A complicated taxation structure increases compliance costs and can discourage businesses from expanding.
The government should focus on broadening the tax base and bringing more economic activity into the documented sector instead of repeatedly increasing the burden on businesses that are already contributing to the national exchequer.
Q: What is needed to encourage private investment?
Chaudhry: Investment requires confidence.
A businessman invests when he believes that policies will remain stable and that there will be reasonable predictability in the regulatory environment.
Pakistan has a large market and a strong entrepreneurial class. Our businessmen have the ability to invest in new industries, expand existing businesses and develop export-oriented ventures.
But they need a supportive environment.
The government should simplify procedures, reduce unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles and ensure that investors can obtain approvals and services without unnecessary delays.
Q: How serious is the issue of energy costs for businesses?
Chaudhry: Energy costs have a direct impact on production and the prices of goods.
For industrialists, expensive electricity and gas can significantly increase production costs and reduce competitiveness.
If Pakistan wants to increase exports, it must ensure that its industries are able to compete with producers in regional and international markets.
The issue is not only the price of energy but also its reliability. Interruptions in supply can disrupt production and cause additional losses.
A long-term energy strategy is therefore essential for industrial growth.
Q: What should be done for small traders?
Chaudhry: Small traders are an important part of Pakistan’s economy. They provide employment and contribute to economic activity across urban and commercial centres.
However, a small businessman does not have the financial and administrative resources available to a large corporation.
Government procedures should therefore be simplified for small businesses.
They should have easier access to finance, technology, training and information about markets.
Supporting small businesses can create employment and encourage entrepreneurship.
Q: How important is effective representation for traders?
Chaudhry: Representation is extremely important.
A businessman who faces a problem with taxation, regulation, energy supply or a government department needs to know that his concern will be heard.
Business organisations should provide a platform where members can raise issues collectively.
Individual businessmen may find it difficult to influence policy, but a representative organisation can present the collective concerns of an entire sector.
That is why unity within the business community is important.
Q: What is your view of the current economic uncertainty?
Chaudhry: Economic activity requires predictability.
Businesses can operate even in challenging circumstances when they know the rules and can plan ahead.
The problem arises when uncertainty makes it difficult to determine what the economic environment will look like in the future.
Pakistan needs continuity in economic policies. Political changes may occur, but important economic decisions should be based on long-term national interests.
A stable policy environment can encourage businesses to invest and expand.
Q: How can Pakistan increase exports?
Chaudhry: Export growth requires competitiveness.
We need reliable energy, competitive production costs, access to finance, modern technology and easier access to international markets.
Pakistan has enormous potential in manufacturing, textiles, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology and other sectors.
We should not remain dependent on a limited number of export products.
The government can facilitate exporters through better infrastructure, trade diplomacy and simplified procedures, while the private sector must focus on quality, productivity and innovation.
Q: What role can young entrepreneurs play in the economy?
Chaudhry: Young entrepreneurs can become an important source of future economic growth.
They are often more willing to adopt technology and explore new business models.
Business organisations should provide young people with opportunities to participate in chamber activities and interact with experienced businessmen.
Mentorship, networking, training and access to information can help young entrepreneurs turn ideas into sustainable businesses.
Q: What should be the approach toward industrial areas such as Multan Road?
Chaudhry: Industrial and commercial areas require coordinated attention from government institutions.
Road infrastructure, drainage, sanitation, security, electricity, traffic management and other civic facilities have a direct impact on businesses.
When these facilities improve, business activity also becomes more efficient.
Associations such as MARITA can play a constructive role by identifying problems collectively and communicating them to the relevant authorities.
The objective should always be improvement rather than confrontation.
Q: What responsibility do business leaders have during difficult economic conditions?
Chaudhry: Business leaders should represent their community while also presenting practical solutions.
Simply criticising government policies does not solve problems.
We should identify the difficulties, understand their causes and recommend alternatives that can work for both the government and the private sector.
Business leaders also have a responsibility to encourage their communities to remain united and pursue legitimate demands through institutional channels.
Q: What message would you like to give to the business community?
Chaudhry: My message is that the business community should remain united and continue raising its genuine concerns through proper institutional forums.
The trader deserves respect and effective representation.
Resolving traders’ problems must remain the central objective of business organisations. Our focus should be on creating a business environment where people can invest, expand their businesses, generate employment and contribute to the national economy.
As a former LCCI Executive Committee member and Patron-in-Chief of MARITA, I believe that stronger coordination between chambers, trade associations, industrialists, traders and government institutions can help address many of the challenges facing the private sector.
Pakistan’s business community has the capacity to contribute significantly to economic development. What it needs is a predictable policy environment, effective representation and meaningful engagement with policymakers.
