PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak received the delegation of Chinese investment company CNEEC led by its Executive Director Ms. Li Nengzhi at Chief Minister House Peshawar.
The company head besides presenting the feasibility report of the establishment of the first of its kind industrial zone at Rashakai near Col. Sher Khan Interchange, also introduced its engineering and construction team members to the Chief Minister who would be responsible to ensure the completion of various sections and installations of this mega industrial and economic zone.
Advisor to CM for Industries Abdul Karim Khan, Secretary Industries Farrah Hamid, Secretary P&D Shahab Ali Shah, Principal Secretary to CM Muhammad Israr Khan, EZDMC Chief Operation Officer Adil Salahuddin, Project Head Muhammad Faisal Khan and other concerned authorities were present on this occasion.
The Chief Minister was told that one thousand acres of land had been acquired for the zone whereas additional land was being also included with it.
The zone would be completed in three phases. Initially 100 different factories would be set up in the zone that would gradually reach 200 units including the manufacturing of steel, medicine, halal food, textiles, light and heavy machinery parts. Similarly, an IT city on 150 acres land would also be established to introduce new products in hard, software’s and other items of information technology. The zone would be launched with the installation of a 225MW gas thermal power house to ensure cheap and uninterrupted power supply to the factories once established.
The company executive told the Chief Minister that 30 thousand jobs would be provided to the youth of Swabi, Mardan, Haripur, Nowshera and other adjoining areas in the zone in the beginning that would gradually reach to over 70 thousand employments soon.
Pervez Khattak underlined the need of starting work on the zone as soon as possible and ensuring its timely completion. He said this was a unique and first of its kind project to bring about industrial revolution in the region.
He expressed the confidence that besides giving boost to the industrial and productive sectors, the zone would provide enormous opportunities of direct and indirect employment for the local population. He said such kind of mega projects were need of the hour due to increasing demand for jobs and consumption of the skilled and unskilled manpower of the province.
He said reviving the industrial sector on strong footings and encouraging the local and foreign investment was the only solution of poverty and unemployment in the entire region.
The Chief Minister said independent corporate body of EZDMC has been set up in the province for revival of the sick industries and establishment of new industries on fast track basis. He said KP government planned 17 industrial zones in the province. Work on Hattar Industrial Zone spread on thousands acres of land was also expedited. Similarly economic zones in D.I.Khan and Rashakai were being linked with CPEC for maximum output, he added.
Pervez Khattak said his government has already announced 5% mark up reduction on loans for new industries. Similarly the industrial and economic incentives have been made essential part of the new industrial policy that besides decrease in mark up on loans, also included rebate on electricity consumption for industrial purpose, transportation charges and other incentives. He said a congenial atmosphere for industries and investment has been set up in the province due to candid measures of the KP government. He said such steps created attraction for foreign investment over here that would yield fruits soon and the entire region would march on road to speedy progress and prosperity.
