It, indeed, is gratifying to learn from a Recorder Report that, at long last, a beginning has been made in providing Sindh with a befitting infrastructure, conducive to its crying needs and circumstances, with a marked focus on Karachi, the country's premier industrial city.
This has reference to the formation of four Infrastructure Development Companies (IDCs) in Karachi, one each in the industrial areas of Korangi, Landhi, Federal 'B' Area, and North Karachi Industrial Estates under the Companies Ordinance 1984.
What is all the more laudable about the initiative is that from the development of its concept to transformation into reality it has taken just about a year. For President Musharraf had directed the formation of these companies in each industrial estate and the Board of Management to run their affairs, at a meeting held in Karachi, under his chairmanship in July last year.
It will be noted that viewed in its dismaying perspective, the infrastructure the industrial Karachi has worked with over decades past will appear to have become its bane, thereby leaving one excited by its tremendous performance. Now seeing the speed with which the task seems to have been vigorously pursued, one should have every reason to believe that infrastructure related woes of industrialists will soon start diminishing, thereby setting the pace for smooth functioning of industries all over the province. For the purpose of IDCs is to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing infrastructure, and also to identify the projects for future needs.
An idea of fast and smooth sailing of the ongoing process may be had from this that the four IDCs, duly incorporated by Registrar of Joint Stock Companies, have obtained licences from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan too. Significantly, the long awaited initiative is aimed at establishing, developing and upgrading the industrial estates in an orderly manner, and to put an end to haphazard growth of the industrial estates concerned.
In marked departure from a grotesque past, the headway the project has made in such a short time will be widely welcomed by the business community. It will be noted, with quite some satisfaction, that with a view to streamlining the system and making the new companies work effectively, the Sindh Labour, Transport, Industries and Commerce departments, have also notified nomination of officials, including Secretaries of Finance, Labour, Transport, Industries and Commerce, and Local Government and Katchi Abadis, and the Managing Director of Karachi Water & Sewerage Board, on their Boards of Directors.
Needless to point out, besides setting up IDCs, the scheme of things as being pursued has also focused on several other problems being faced by the industrial estates. Reference in this regard may be made to non-existence of any Combined Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP), which is essential under the WTO regime and for compliance with NEQ standards. Taking due note of this deficiency, the President had directed construction of CETPs, and making them operational at the earliest.
At the same time, he had also asked the Ministry of Industries to provide CEPTs in the industrial estates of Karachi, along with formation of independent companies to manage them. These directive, as vigorously pursued, will appear to have ensured that the initiative is not lost in the jungle of paper work to which we have been accustomed over decade past, but to start working as vivid examples of purposeful development.
This has reference to provisions, made in advance to deal promptly with funding and other delaying aspects related to many an ambitious development schemes, thereby setting a precedent worth emulating.
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