Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) said that due to multiple factors, conditions for
businesses were not conducive while high inflation has eroded the purchasing
power of consumers. In these circumstances, Metropolitan Corporation
Islamabad (MCI) has made massive hike in trade license fee for small businesses
that was highly unjustified and would badly affect their survival. He stressed
upon the government to issue orders for immediate withdrawal of increase in
trade license fee by MCI to save small businesses from further troubles. He said
this while addressing a meeting of ICCI District Municipal Administration Sub-
Committee.

Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that due to absence of rent control act in
Islamabad, rents of businesses were very high in Islamabad while other expenses
of businessmen were also quite high as compared to other cities. He said that
trade license fee for a certain business category was raised from Rs.25000 to
Rs.2.4 million per annum, which was totally irrational and illogical. He said that
fee for other businesses was also raised by thousands percent which was not
affordable for them and stressed that MCI should immediately withdraw massive
hike in said fee.

Tahir Abbasi Senior Vice President and Saif ur Rehman Khan Vice President ICCI
said that as per local government act, any proposal to increase tax was first
advertised in press and public hearing was arranged to hear the objections of
stakeholders. However, MCI has not followed this procedure and raised the fee
unilaterally. They said that 40 union councils have representation in MCI out of
which 10 union councils were from urban areas while the rest of 30 union
councils were from rural areas. They said that trade license fee was not enforced
in rural areas while the 10 union councils of urban areas had opposed the hike in
trade license fee. They said that this move of MCI has created great concerns in
the business community of Islamabad. They said that if MCI did not withdraw the
hike in trade license fee, then a future course of action would be finalized in
consultation with market associations of the city.

Mehboob Ahmed Khan, Convener, ICCI DMA Sub-Committee said that Mayor
was from the opposition party and he was taking measures that were creating
more problems for the federal government. He said that business community
would not accept the hike in trade license fee and if it was not taken back, they
would consider moving the court for protection of their rights.