Fatma Azim, Acting President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has called upon the CDA to immediately withdraw the lease extension notices to local industries and implement the CDA Board decision made in August 2020 for rationalization of lease extension fee of industrial plots to settle this issue in an amicable manner.
Fatma Azim said that CDA was imposing 1% lease extension charges of the current market price of industrial plots, which was very high and the ICCI had vigorously pursued this matter for revising these high charges. As a result of these efforts, CDA Board in its meeting held on 26th August 2020 had rationalized the lease extension fee for industrial plots @ Rs.100,000/per kanal instead of the 1% charges of the current market price and forwarded this decision to the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction & Development (NCCHCD) for endorsement.
However, instead of implementing the CDA Board decision, the civic body has started issuing notices to the local industrialists for lease extension of industrial plots @ 1% charges of the current market price or face sealing of plots, which was totally unjustified. She emphasized that when the CDA Board has approved the rationalization of lease extension fee for industrial plots, there was no justification for issuing notices as industrialists were ready to get lease extensions of their industrial plots @ Rs.100,000/ per kanal. She stressed that CDA should immediately withdraw its notices to industries and implement the decision of CDA Board to save the industry from further problems. She further said that instead of issuing lease extension notices, CDA should keep this matter pending till the endorsement of CDA Board decision from NCCHCD.
Abdul Rehman Khan, Vice President ICCI said that the industry was already facing great problems due to Covid-19 pandemic and in these tough times, instead of focusing on ease of doing business, CDA was issuing notices to industries to pressurize them despite the fact that CDA Board has already decided this matter. He urged that CDA should immediately withdraw all lease extension notices to industries and implement CDA Board decision, otherwise, the business community would be forced to move the court against these unjustified measures of CDA.