Chamber drafts changes to PERA, EPA laws

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has drawn up changes to legislation covering the Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Punjab Food Authority, and submitted them to the Punjab Assembly speaker. Chamber president Ali Hussam Asghar described the proposals to Senate Chairman Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, citing business concerns about enforcement practices.

Asghar said inspections, raids and arrests were creating anxiety among businesses, and argued that violations should generally be handled with fines and corrective steps instead of arrests. Gillani said business representatives could share their views with relevant Senate committees, while Asghar also sought a formal role for the chamber in economic committee discussions and a process to examine how existing federal and provincial laws affect trade and industry.