PESHAWAR: Stakeholders have called for establishing One Stop Facilitation Centre, to integrate all regulatory process under a single digital platform for ease of doing business to promote industries and investment in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The recommendation has been made by a sectoral group constituted in pursuance of the consultative session with different chambers of commerce & industries, businessmen, investors and government departments for devising Industrial Policy 2025-30 (Revitalization of Industries, Shaping Excellence-RISE).
The sectoral group constituted by the Secretary Industries is headed by Fazal Muqeem, President Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industries (SCCI) with Additional Secretary Industries, representatives from Small & Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), KP Board of Investment & Trade and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development & Management Company (KP-EZDMC) as members.
The suggested terms of reference (TORs) of the sectoral group were the identification of hurdles, duplications and inefficiencies in business setup, operations and elimination of the culture of obtaining no objection certificate (NoC) before initiating any industrial related endeavor, development of a roadmap for integrating all relevant departments under a single-window system.
Digital solutions for efficient investor support, service delivery and to outline the required institutional framework and governance structure for effective implementation also recommended.
The Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) initiative has been launched by the World Bank, aimed to assess regulatory environments across countries, ranking them based on factors like business registration, construction permits, taxation and contract enforcement etc.
On the World Bank index on ease of doing business, out of 191 countries, Pakistan is ranked at 108th in 2020 when the last ranking was issued. Though this ranking is not satisfactory, it is not very bleak as well.
During discussion, the sectoral group also identified bureaucratic inefficiencies, duplications as major hurdles in business setup and operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that increase costs and delays for investors. The requirement for multiple No Objection Certificates (NoCs) from various departments creates unnecessary red tape, discouraging entrepreneurship and industrial growth.
The suggested one stop facilitation centre will integrate all regulatory process under a single digital platform. The system should replace redundant NoCs with an automated approval mechanism, ensuring transparency and efficiency. Additionally, overlapping regulatory requirements should be eliminated by consolidating relevant procedures under a single authority, reducing administrative burden on businesses.
Furthermore, the sectoral group has recommended clear timelines for approvals, digital tracking of applications, and the implementation of standardized procedures to improve the ease of doing business. The shift from NoC-based approach to a compliance-based regulatory model will improve investors’ confidence and industrial expansion.
The reforms recommended by the sectoral group could contribute to a more business-friendly environment, accelerating economic growth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The participants of the group have termed the integration of all relevant departments under a single-window system crucial to enhance the ease of doing business. The initiative, they said aims to streamline regulatory process, reduce bureaucratic delays and improve service delivery for investors and businesses.
The roadmap, the stakeholders said should begin with a comprehensive mapping of all departments concerned with business registration, licensing, taxation, and regulatory compliance. They have stressed need for the development of a centralized digital platform to facilitate seamless international coordination, enabling businesses to complete all formalities through a single interface.
In head of discussion on digital solutions for efficient investors support and service delivery, the sectoral group called for the development of a One-Stop Digital Facilitation Platform to integrate all regulatory, licensing and businesses related services under a single interface.
In this connection, the group has strongly recommended taking the KP Board of Information Technology on board in developing the proposed system as the entity is mandated to develop such systems and applications for the KP government and possess the required human resource.
Regarding the effective implementation of the Ease of Doing Business, the stakeholders have called adoption of a well-defined institutional framework and essential governance structure to foster inter-departmental coordination, transparency, and efficiency while ensuring seamless service delivery for investors. They have called for the establishment of a centralized authority to oversee and implement the one-stop facilitation system.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
