Section 3: Licensing and registration of trade organisations.⸻ (1) Notwithstanding anything

3. Licensing and registration of trade organisations.⸻ (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Ordinance or in any other law for the time being in force relating to registration of societies, bodies or associations of persons, no trade organisation shall be registered under the Ordinance or such other law unless it holds a licence granted by the 1[Regulator] authorizing it to be so registered. (2) No licence shall be granted for registration under the Ordinance to a trade organisation unless it is ⸻ (a) a Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, organized on all Pakistan basis, to represent Chambers and Associations referred to in clauses (b), (c), (d) and (f): Provided that a licence for registration as a Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry shall not be granted to more than one trade organisation; (b) a Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized to represent trade, industry and services in a district. Such a Chamber representing less than the prescribed number of persons shall not be granted licence. Where the number of persons desiring to form a Chamber is less than the prescribed number of persons, they may join a licensed Chamber of the adjoining district: Provided that the 1[division to which business of this Act stands allocated] may, by notification in official Gazette, combine one or more districts for the purpose of grant of only one licence. In such a case the 1[division to which business of this Act stands allocated] may allow the districts so combined to form a Town Association under clause (e); (c) a Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized to represent the women entrepreneurs engaged in trade, industry or services in each administrative division but such a Chamber representing less than the prescribed number of women entrepreneurs shall not be granted licence and where the number of women entrepreneurs desiring to form a Chamber is less than the 1Subs. by Act No. IV of 2025, s.3. prescribed number, they may join an adjoining Women’s Chamber of Commerce and industry: Provided that nothing contained in this clause shall debar a woman entrepreneur to become member of a Chamber in clause (b) if such woman entrepreneur otherwise fulfills the criteria of membership of the respective chamber: Provided further that nothing contained in this clause shall debar the required number of women entrepreneurs to form district Women Chambers of Commerce if they otherwise fulfill the criteria of formation of a district chamber. (d) an association with membership on all Pakistan basis organized to represent a specific trade, industry or service or any combination thereof: Provided that a licence for registration as an all Pakistan association shall not be granted to more than two trade organisations in the same sector, one of which must be an organization representing small business, small traders or small industry: Provided further that the question. whether a specific activity in trade, industry or service is an independent sector or only a sub­sector, shall be determined by the Government, whose decision in this respect shall be final; (e) a Town Association, organized to represent trade, industry and services in a town, tehsil, taluka or a district where there is no chamber and such Town Association shall be affiliated with the Chamber of the concerned district: Provided that when a town, tehsil or taluka is upgraded as a district or is granted licence under clause (b), the Town Association in that town, tehsil, taluka or district shall cease to exist with immediate effect; and (f) a Chamber of Small Traders organized to represent small businesses, small traders and small industry, in each district, provided that they otherwise qualify to form a chamber under this Act. (3) Notwithstanding the provisions of clause (b) and (d) of sub­section (2), where the membership of a chamber in a district attains the minimum prescribed number for grant of licence t o a chamber under this Act, such persons shall be entitled to form and apply fo r grant of licence as a chamber. (4) On grant of licence to a Chamber under sub­section (3), the firms and companies, which had obtained membership in the Chamber of an adjoini ng district, shall be deemed to have been de­ registered from membership register of the adjoining Chamber. (5) Application for grant of licence of a trade organisation shall be made to the 1[Regulator] in the prescribed application form. 1Subs. by Act No. IV of 2025, s.3. (6) A trade organisation shall be granted licence on such terms and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed. (7) Licence shall be granted to a trade organisation for a period of five years. (8) A trade organisation holding a licence shall be registered under the Ordinance as a company with limited liability without the addition of the word “limited” to its name and on such registration shall enjoy all the privileges of a limited company and be subject to all its obligations except those of— (a) using the word “limited” as any part of its name; (b) publishing its name; and (c) sending lists of members to the registrar. (9) The Federal Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, grant exemption to any trade organisation from any provision of this Act and such exemption may be for such period and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the notification: Provided that no such exemption shall be granted to a trade organisation unless the Federal Government is satisfied that it would be in the public interest to do so.

Effective date: 2013-01-01

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