PESHAWAR: Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faisal Karim Kundi on Monday stressed the need to promote business activities in the province through a transparent, efficient and digital governance system, saying that providing maximum facilities to the business community should remain a key government priority.

Chairing a meeting on ease of doing business and proposed reforms in relevant laws and regulations, the Governor said unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles should be eliminated through the introduction of modern digital systems, enabling entrepreneurs to access government services without making repeated visits to public offices.

The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Governor on Finance Tariq Mahmood Pasha, Adviser on Industries Irshad Ahmad, Adviser on Planning and Development Usman Saifullah Khan, Chief Secretary Dr Fakhare Alam Irfan, Secretary Industries and other senior officials.

The participants briefed the Governor on measures aimed at facilitating businesses, issuance of no-objection certificates (NoCs), implementation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asaan Karobar Act 2025, the Asaan Karobar Live Portal, digitization of regulatory licensing and certification offices, and steps taken to address existing challenges. The meeting was also informed about reform proposals prepared in consultation with 19 government departments.

The Governor directed the authorities to introduce a single-window system to provide all business-related services under one roof and further simplify the online registration process to encourage investment and improve public convenience.

He said an effective mechanism should be developed to ensure that citizens are not required to visit government offices for routine matters. He also instructed the authorities to activate, at the earliest, the online complaints portal for Asaan Karobar to ensure prompt resolution of issues faced by the business community.

Governor Kundi further directed the appointment of a focal person for effective coordination with the federal government and called for an immediate meeting with the Information Technology Department to expedite the implementation of digital reforms. He also ordered that the meeting of the committee formed for Asaan Karobar be convened soon to begin practical implementation of the proposed reforms.

He said linking public services with a transparent, efficient and modern digital system was the need of the hour to promote business activities and improve service delivery across the province.