KARACHI: Administrator Pakistan Economic Zone Development and Management Company (PEZDMC) Brigadier Muhammad Asad, while highlighting some key features of the upcoming Malir Industrial Park (MIP), stated that efforts were underway to create an environment at the MIP that is close to ideal by addressing all the current issues being faced by industrialists in the existing industrial zones of Karachi.
“As providing maximum facilities to industrialists is a top priority, efforts are being made to minimize weaknesses so that industries could operate smoothly at the MIP”, he added while speaking at a seminar on the Establishment of Malir Industrial Park organized at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in collaboration with the PEZDMC.
Administrator PEZDMC said, “We are here to take the business community’s inputs about Malir Industrial Park as currently we are at a stage, where the project can easily be tailored but at a later stage, it will be a problem if we identify issues. Today’s visit to KCCI is our first formal engagement as this is the most credible institution to begin the successful journey of Malir Industrial Park.”
He was quite optimistic that the MIP would take on the leading role and prove to be a major milestone for the economic and industrial development of Pakistan in general, and Karachi city in particular. This project would not only bring about industrial and economic transformation but also social changes.
The MIP would emerge as a model industrial park, providing full-fledged security and excellent infrastructure for industrialists looking forward to setting up their manufacturing units at this park.
“MIP is being established on the outskirts of Karachi, resulting in the socio-economic uplift of the area”, he said, adding that the project’s location and size have been carefully designed after thorough evaluations and considering the ground realities.
He opined that to boost exports, promote import substitution, and support the growing population of Karachi, it is essential to establish maximum number of industries which was the primary rationale behind setting up the MIP, where ample facilities will be guaranteed. “The clustered MIP is going to produce renewable energy on its own which will be cheaper than the electricity being provided by KE.”
He also mentioned that the project’s soft inauguration was done by Army Staff General Asif Munir and Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah on September 26, 2024, which demonstrates the high level of importance and commitment to the success of the project.
Speaking on the occasion, President KCCI Muhammad Jawed Bilwani stated that although there has always been serious emphasis on setting up more industrial zones but unfortunately, not a single federal government from time to time bothered to review the causes behind the closure of industries. “However, the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has been expressing its resolve to deal with this most pressing issue. We hope and pray that they succeed in doing so”, he said, adding that effective strategies have to be devised to attract and encourage newcomers to set up industries.
He highlighted that the infrastructure in the seven industrial zones of Karachi has been in poor condition for a long time due to low-quality infrastructure projects. As a result, the roads constructed are barely able to last for six months. Despite creating the highest number of employment opportunities, industries in all the industrial zones of Karachi remain largely deprived and face issues such as the unavailability of water, sewerage, gas, electricity, public transport, and many other civic problems.
“Although MIP is a gated industrial park, stringent security measures must also be introduced at all the roads leading to the Industrial Park so that safety and security of industrialists and their workforce traveling daily could be ensured”, he said while stressing the need to bring down crime to zero in every industrial zone of the city to save the industries.
KCCI Senior Vice President Zia ul Arfeen, Vice President Faisal Khalil Ahmed, Former President KCCI Junaid Makda, Secretary PEZDMC Brig Amir Nazir Malik (Retd), Director OPS & Plan PEZDMC Col. Atif Zia, Advisor to Administrator PEZDMC Imran Siddiqui, AD Marketing PEZDMC Lt Col Abid Ali (Retd) and KCCI Managing Committee members along with prominent industrialists attended the seminar.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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