LAHORE: S.M Tanveer, a leader of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and patron-in-chief of the United Business Group (UBG), has expressed concerns over a bill tabled in the National Assembly seeking to amend the Trade Organisations Rules (TORs) 2013.
He warns that the move could force the closure of numerous representative bodies across the country.Speaking to Khalid Tawab, regional chairperson of UBG Sindh, Tanveer said the proposal has unsettled the business community at a time when the trading environment is already under strain from domestic and external pressures. Chambers of commerce and industry, he said, serve as a primary forum for businesses to raise collective concerns.
He cautioned that limiting trade bodies to municipal city boundaries could exclude industrial estates, SME clusters in tehsils and rural export-oriented enterprises from effective representation.
Tanveer argued that amending the 2013 rules will discourage trade bodies, particularly those representing women entrepreneurs and small- and medium-sized enterprises. He said the proposed legislation could abolish district-level chambers, dismantling an institutional framework developed over years and harming local economies.
District chambers, he added, play an important role in fostering business clusters and supporting economic growth in line with international practice. He alleged that the proposed changes will reverse this approach for narrow interests.
Tanveer called on lawmakers to reject the bill and allow district chambers to continue operating, warning that smaller businesses in particular may struggle to secure representation at city-level chambers.
