‘Seven SEZs being established in Punjab’: Buzdar discusses various strategies with FIEDMC chairman

LAHORE: For the first time in the history of Pakistan, seven Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are being established in Punjab while state-of-the-art facilities are being provided in Allama Iqbal Industrial City in Faisalabad, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said.

During a meeting with the Chairman of the Faisalabad Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) Mian Kashif Ashfaq, the CM discussed the strategies aimed at accelerating the industrial process and creating ease of doing business.

The CM said that he will visit Faisalabad soon to launch development projects worth billions of rupees including the setting up of a modern Business Park over 300 acres of land having Expo Centre and a golf club.

He said that special incentives will be given for promoting the hotel business while all facilities will be provided to promote commercial activities in the Business Park. Projects like Furniture City, Health City and Weaving City will be launched besides inaugurating One Window Operation in Allama Iqbal Industrial City, he added.

He said that foreign investors have shown great interest in Allama Iqbal Industrial City. He claimed that the government has turned Punjab into a hub of economic activities and a role model for investment. He said that Punjab has taken lead in providing facilities as well as creating ease in doing business. Chairman FIEDMC Mian Kashif Ashfaq apprised the chief minister about the progress on development work being carried out in Special Economic Zone Allama Iqbal Industrial City linked with CPEC and about the investment being made on the large scale in the Industrial City.

Moreover, chairing a meeting in connection with providing relief to the labourers, the CM announced on Labour Day to fix the minimum wage of worker at Rs 20,000.

Addressing the meeting, the CM said that welfare of workers is top priority of the government and Punjab is the only province that has given approval to fix the minimum wage at Rs 20,000.

The PTI government, in the last three years, has increased five thousand rupees in the minimum wage of workers and will continue to increase the minimum wage of workers in future as well.

“A Self-Assessment Scheme has been launched for ensuring transparent and easy payment of Social Security Contributions. The free of cost emergency medical services in Social Security Hospitals has been ensured while Social Security Inspection has been limited to 20 percent. Marriage Grant for workers has been increased from Rs 100,000 to Rs 200,000 whereas Death Grant has also been increased from Rs 0.5 million to Rs 0.6 million,” the CM said, adding: “Online and transparent system has been introduced for awarding scholarships to the children of workers and labourers while flats have been allotted to the labourers in the labour colonies of Lahore, Nankana Sahib and Multan.”

Furthermore, talking to members of National and Provincial assemblies, the CM said the incumbent government is serving the people wholeheartedly and the problems in the constituencies of the elected representatives will be resolved on priority basis. Those who met the CM included Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana and Amir Sultan Cheema MNAs, Muhammad Nadeem Qureshi, Shehbaz Ahmed and Ch Ijaz Hussain MPAs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021