RAWALPINDI: In the last week, the newly established Business Facilitation Centre (BFC) received as many as 41 applications from firms to establish new businesses in the Rawalpindi district, and 20 firms were issued Non-Objection Certificates (NOCs), while the rest are still in process.

Though the BFC is operational, the formal inauguration of the centre is still pending because the administration has been waiting for the availability of Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The inauguration was expected a week ago, but a few hours before the inauguration, the caretaker chief minister changed his plan, and the inauguration was postponed.

The BFC has desks for 18 departments, including the Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), small industries, local government, PHA, Wasa, environment, irrigation, tourism, home department, police, food authority, livestock, and others.

These departments have opened their counters to facilitate the investors, so they are able to submit fees for the NOCs from different departments, and within seven days, all the departments will provide the NOCs.

A senior official of RDA said that all the building plans related to industry or other business centres will also get approval from the concerned departments within a week if there is no legal hurdle in the business.

“The aim of setting up the centre is to carry out the regulatory procedures by various departments under one roof. The formalities before starting any business will be met under this one-window operation,” he said.

He added, “It will help generate economic activity in this area, which will eventually help people get employment opportunities at the local level.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Liaqat Ali Chatha visited the BFC established at the Rawalpindi Development Authority on Thursday and reviewed the ongoing operations there.

The commissioner was briefed that the centre had been operational for the last week. It was informed to him that 41 applications have been received in the centre, out of which a NOC has been issued for 20, while the rest are still in process.

The commissioner himself furnished a request to commercialise a plot located on Defence Road, Mauza Morgah, for a petrol pump. Mr Chatha noted that in order to improve the business environment in Rawalpindi, BFC had every facility to guide and process the requests of the business community within the stipulated period.

The establishment of the centre has facilitated the business community, as they will have all facilities under one roof instead of going around different departments before starting any business, he said.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2024