Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani said on Thursday that the Senate would continue playing its role in promoting a legislative and policy environment conducive to business, protecting legitimate business interests and advancing national economic priorities.
He said the business community would be provided an opportunity to present its views and recommendations before relevant Senate standing committees dealing with Finance, Economics, Commerce and Industry, emphasising that effective economic policymaking required meaningful consultation with all stakeholders.
He was addressing members of the business community at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), where LCCI President Ali Hussam Asghar, Senior Vice President Sardar Usman Ghani, Vice President Chaudhry Khadim Hussain, Member National Assembly Syed Ali Qasim Gillani, former LCCI president Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman and Mian Aziz-ur-Rehman Chan also spoke.
The Senate Chairman said taxation, regulatory challenges, policy discontinuity and the rising cost of doing business were genuine concerns of the business community that needed to be addressed. He acknowledged Lahore’s historic role as a centre of commerce, industry and entrepreneurship and appreciated the contribution of its business community to employment generation, industrial development and national prosperity.
Highlighting the role of Parliament, particularly the Senate as the House of the Federation, he said its legislative and oversight functions provided an institutional platform for examining economic challenges and facilitating constructive engagement between stakeholders and policymakers.
He assured the business community that the Senate would work towards a policy framework that encouraged entrepreneurship, protected legitimate business interests and supported the country’s economic priorities.
Yousaf Raza Gillani encouraged the Lahore Chamber to maintain active and constructive engagement with parliamentary institutions, observing that its practical experience, informed recommendations and sector-specific insights could make a meaningful contribution to legislative deliberations and parliamentary oversight.—APP
