Investment-friendly policies in GB assured
GILGIT, Dec 15: Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA) Wazir Baig has assured a foreign delegation of investment-friendly policies in the region.
“China is playing an important role in the development of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he said while talking to a delegation of Chinese businessmen here.
He said all intending investors would find a friendly and conducive environment to invest in Gilgit-Baltistan. “There must be investmentfriendly policies so that more investors come to the country,” he added.
Mr Baig extolled services of Chinese people, saying that China was a time-tested friend of Pakistan and urged to further strengthen ties between the two neighbouring countries.
The Chinese businessmen took interest to invest in the mining sector in GilgitBaltistan.
Speaker Baig said that there was need to invest in the region as it was the most peaceful area in the country with huge mining treasures which needed to be explored.
Meanwhile, addressing various public gatherings in Hunza, he assured the people that their problems would be resolved as “a government of the people has come into power for the first time in the region, which is determined to resolve problem at their doorsteps”.
Speaker Baig thanked the people of Hunza for electing him as member of the GBLA. He was accompanied by Mohammad Ali Akhtar and Mutabiat Shah, members of the legislative assembly.
He said that the self-governance order would guarantee democratic norms in the region. He urged members of the assembly to focus on their prime duty and work for public welfare.Mr Baig said that as a speaker of the house he would act impartially and maintain dignity of the GBLA. He said development of Hunza was a priority besides parliamentary activities.
The newly elected speaker received warm public welcome throughout the journey from Gilgit to Gojal. This was his first visit of his constituency after the recent election. [DAWN]
Dear readers,
First of all, I congratulate every candidate who have been elected to the GBLA and hope that they’ll come up with the responsibilities to address the needs and challenges of the people in the times ahead (provided they have a sense of protecting indiginous populations in context of a global and national economic manouvering).
The above statement of Mr. Baig (for me) is little alarming in sense of a motivation of global economic invasion by US, EU, JAPAN,CHINA, INDIA and some other emerging countries on the global economic portfolio.
The dire need of the time for a country like Pakistan is not only facilitating foreign investment but also to create a favourable condition for the local/national enterprises in terms of providing utilities (energy, roads, water etc) alongwith the relaxation on taxes and eliminating variety of other administrative barriers (red tapism) which alltogather tamper the smooth access for an indiginous micro/medium entrepreneur.
We welcome foreign investment in the mega projects like Bhasha and Bunji but at the same time we don’t want to become labourers for the multinationals as well.
The equitable distribution of the wealth/resources can’t be fulfilled unless the equitable legislation is not in place.
I personnaly have reservations over the GBLA’s “Lagislative List” icluding [Article 47 (2) (b)] because all powers are adhered to the council whereas the Assembly is limited to the execution of laws made by the Council.
This Order ,in any sense, doesn’t constitute GB as a province of Pakistan but a province of AJK being altogather controlled by the Federal govt of Pakistan.
Consequently, the real impact of GBLA on the masses will be a terrible surprise in terms of “NEW TAXES” on the agricultural produce and services whereas transparency and good governance issues will remain worst (as ever) in the rise of new economic constraints.
Least but not last, there is also a window opportunity for the newly elected members to evaluate and address some fundamental issues of the region within their jurisdiction to be able to take maximum advantage of the “Order 2009”.
The ball is in their court.
Yar Khan