ISLAMABAD: Chairman Capital Development Authority (CDA), Aamir Ali Ahmed has said that under the instructions of Prime Minister Imran Khan to promote the construction activities, CDA is reducing the charges of additional storey in markets by 50 percent that would give boost to business activities. He said this while addressing a delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) led by its President Muhammad Ahmed Waheed which called on him here on Friday. Chairman CDA Amir Ali Ahmad said that additional storey charges were being reduced by half in all markets of Islamabad to promote the construction activities. He further said that development works would be carried out in various markets at a cost of Rs.250 million and this process would start within a month including carpeting of roads and repair of footpaths. Speaking on the occasion, President ICCI Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that ICCI for the last many years has been discussing with CDA the same agenda of development of markets and industrial and hoped that the current Chairman CDA would address these problems. He said that lease renewal was a major issue that needed to be addressed urgently. He said that in 2000, the CDA Board had extended the lease period of all industrial plots from 33 years to 99 years, but now this process has been stopped and tax @ of one percent of the value was being demanded.
Muhammad Ahmad Waheed urged the Chairman CDA to present the issue of lease renewal before the CDA Board as early as possible for extension of lease period up to 99 years and for abolition of one per cent tax of the value. Mohammad Ijaz Abbasi, Convener, ICCI CDA Committee said that four years ago, the CDA Board had approved new industrial building by-laws that covered the height of industrial buildings, permission for multiple businesses and expansion of construction area, but their notification was still pending and urged for immediate issuance of notification for implementation of new byelaws.
Sheikh Tariq Sadiq highlighted the lease renewal issues and Chairman CDA issued orders to remove all obstacles in renewing of leases. Mirza Muhammad Ali and Tahir Ayub stressed for the need of a truck stand in I-11 and asked Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqat to personally visit and allot plot for the truck stand.