RAWALPINDI: The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) on Wednesday hailed the appointment of Miftah Ismail as the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs.
FPCCI officials Zubair Tufail, SM Muneer and Iftikhar Ali Malik appreciated the step taken by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, to form a new finance team which is the need of the hour.
The business leaders, while congratulating Dr Ismail on his new assignment, hoped that the new adviser understands the problems faced by the industry and the businessmen; therefore, [it is expected] he will immediately look into the issues and will try to resolve them.
Separately, in a statement issued in the day, RCCI President Zahid Latif Khan said that the key slot of finance minister has been vacant for almost a month and there was an uncertainty in the country regarding the economy. However, we [RCCI] are hopeful that appointment of Miftah Ismail will resolve the issue of uncertainty among the business community and address the issues faced by the community at his earliest, the president added.
Due to the absence of the finance minister for over a month, the business faced various problems, such as delay in refunds, misuse of discretionary powers by the FBR officials, accounts attachment, high business costs and taxation.
The RCCI president hoped that the appointment of Miftah as the prime minister’s adviser with the status of federal minister and Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan as State Minister of Finance in the remaining few months of the incumbent government’s term will now clear the situation for the local and foreign investors.
He said that business community has great expectations with the newly-appointed adviser, as he has worked as the head of the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, chairman of the Federal Board of Investment, and chairman of the Privatisation Commission for a brief period.
FPCCI, RCCI and business leaders extended their full support to Dr Miftah Ismail’s.
