Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is going to be hub of industrial and special economic zones within next two to three years, as foreign and local companies are taking keen interest to make investment in potential sectors of the province. As many as 16 industrial estates would be fully made operational by declaring them special economic zones status that will connect with the multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
This was stated by Chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company, Ghulam Dastagir while briefing the media persons about initiatives towards industrialisation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Flanked by Secretary Industries Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ms Farah Hamid, and the company Chief Executive Officer, Mohsin M Syed, he claimed that they are focusing on market-based labour force, for this purpose, more than 30,000 people would be trained, besides employment opportunities were also created for more than 0.2million people across the province.
With the re-building trust of investors, he said foreign and local companies are taking keen interest to make investment in the potential sectors, adding that they had already received pledge from foreign companies regarding acquiring lands at various estates zone in the province. He said that KPEZDMC has shown tremendous progress with short span of time, and had taken enormous initiatives toward industrialisation, especially creation of maximum employment opportunities in KP.
Talking about the absolving the Sarhad Development Authority into the KPEZDMC, he assured they will not layoff employees of devolved SDA, he, however, made it clear, if any person cannot delivery appropriately, and then will be expelled from the company.
After declaring special economic zone to Hattar Industrial Zone, by federal government last year, he said the company had gained overwhelming response as pledges for acquiring 200-acres lands in the Hattar Industrial Zone have so far received from companies in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said nearly 200 investors applied for lands in the zone, due to which Hattar Industrial zone has been expanded to 1000-Acres. "We have chalked out plan to carryout intensive-level economic activities across the province" Dastgir said, adding that the top priority is to provide one-window operation services to investors. He said they are trying to provide all kind facilities to companies to attract local as well as foreign investment in the province. For this purpose, he said the company had developed online-application system.
The company chairman said they will produce market-oriented and trained labour force to industries, in order to safe timeline and avoid from heavy expenditure of training program. He assured the people will get employment opportunity after completion of training in various skills.
Ghulam Dastgir said the federal government had allocated 100mmcfd quota due to vigorous efforts by the incumbent provincial government, adding that around 700mega watts electricity would produce from the allocated gas quota. He said a project would be initiated to produce 225mega watts electricity for Hattar, Rashkai and Kohat industrial estates under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) venture. He hoped the initiative would help to supply uninterrupted electricity to the stated three-industrial zones.
Explaining about the status of other industrial zones, he said they had received application for 300-acres, despite the finalisation of master plan of Rashkai industrial zone. He said the Hattar and Rashkai industrial zone will be run under flag-ship program, wherein social housing and special labour residential schemes at specific areas, would be established.
Regarding the Kohat-Karak industrial estate, the company chairman said the successive governments had always neglected southern areas of the province. Therefore, he said a piece of land of 1000-acres for Kohat industrial estates, and 500-acres lands for Karak industrial estates have so far acquired. While in DI Khan, he said lands measuring 289 to 1000 acres have been acquired, out of which 170-acrea area has been declared as special economic zone.
No industrial estate was being established in Swat. We have planned to acquire 400-acres lands to establish industrial estate in the scenic valley, Dastgir said. He hoped that the groundbreaking would be held within next two months. In Chakdara, he said around 250-acres lands have been acquired near Chakdara interchange. Similarly, he said 50-Acres lands would be acquired within next three week for establishment of Chitral industrial estate, while 300-acres would be acquired under the next phase. He said the work would be soon initiated on the jalozai industrial zone, namely Peshawar Industrial Zone.
"We have planned to run circular train from Peshawar to Charsada and Mardan, for which foreign investors have shown interest in the project, Ghulam Dastgir said. When asked about the stagnation in the existing industries, he said the situation is rapidly improving after the successful military operation Zarb-e-Azb in tribal region, due to which confidence of investors have been restoring with huge extent. He expressed the hope that they would able to attract Rs 200-300billion investment during next two-to three years in the province.
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