Muhammad Saif Anwar Jappa, Director General, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) visited the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and briefed the business community about the construction of Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) and the plan of establishing industrial zones as well as fruit & vegetable market on this project to promote commercial and industrial activities. He also announced the opening of a Facilitation Desk of RDA in ICCI to facilitate the business community in matters to RDA. He said that RDA had intended to conduct a survey in collaboration with the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry to identify a suitable location for an industrial zone on Ring Road and desired that ICCI should become a stakeholder in this important project to promote industrialization. He said that to bolster the business and industrial activities, the Punjab government has set up a Business Facilitation Centre as a one-stop shop facility and the business community of Islamabad should take benefit of its services while exploring business and investment opportunities in Punjab. He invited the ICCI delegation to visit RDA to get a detailed briefing on the RRR project and the scope of business and industrial activities on it.

Faad Waheed, Senior Vice President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that ICCI has been working on a new industrial zone in the region for a long time and emphasized that the RDA should take ICCI on board about the industrial zone on Ring Road so that this project could be set up at a suitable location that should have easy access to the twin cities. He thanked RDA for announcing the opening of its Facilitation Desk in ICCI and hoped that it would provide great facilitation to ICCI members.

Engr. Azhar ul Islam Zafar, Vice President ICCI He said that RDA should inform the people about the illegal housing societies in its jurisdiction to save the potential investors from any losses.

Zafar Bakhtawari, former President ICCI and Secretary General UBG Pakistan said that a new industrial zone in the region is badly needed to facilitate the potential investors and stressed that RDA should take RCCI, ICCI and Chakwal Chamber of Commerce on board for a new industrial zone on the Ring Road so that the members of three chambers of commerce located near motorway could take benefit of it.

Sheikh Amir Waheed former President ICCI, Sardar Tahir Mehmood President Federation of Realtors Pakistan, Abid Khan, Aslam Khokhar, and others also spoke on the occasion and highlighted various issues that needed the attention of RDA for redress.