Govt focusing on biotechnology, precision agriculture, battery manufacturing: Fawad

• Chaudhry Fawad says government is focusing on biotechnology, precision agriculture and battery manufacturing.
• Fawad says We have set big targets of introducing biotechnology, precision agriculture, and battery storage in the country.

BEIJING: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain Monday said the government was focusing on biotechnology, precision agriculture and battery manufacturing aimed at enhancing production as well as exports.

“We have set big targets of introducing biotechnology, precision agriculture, and battery storage in the country and for this purpose, the Chinese entrepreneurs can play an important role by investing in these sectors,” he said in an interview with APP.

The minister, currently on a five-day visit to China in a bid to muster investment in the science and technology sector, said he was holding important meetings with all the big solar manufacturers and briefing them about the ample investment opportunities introduced by the Government in Pakistan.

“We want the Chinese companies to set up their manufacturing units and start the production as early as possible,” he added.

Fawad said the alternate energy policy was being finalized and it would be announced soon. “It will encourage investor especially from China to invest in this sector.”

Pakistan, he said, had huge potential to become an export hub and there would be great opportunities of exports to Afghanistan, Central Asia, and Arab countries.

He said a modern road infrastructure was available in Pakistan and after completion of the Sukkur-Karachi Motorway, the transportation of goods would be faster owing to the connectivity.

The work on $ 8 billion ML-I railways project would also be started very soon and it would further improve the communication network, he added.

The minister said the largest biotechnology center was being set up in South Asia. “Green energy is the future. The transmission of electricity will be made through green energy rather than poles and cables.”

Regarding facilitation of the companies that intended to invest in Pakistan, he said the government had already sped up the process and offered huge investment opportunities to the Chinese companies.

A division of armed forces had been raised for the security of Chinese working on mega projects in various parts of the country, he added.

He said the Chinese businessmen were the largest investors in Pakistan and acknowledged their pivotal role in the development of the country.

To a question, he said the present government had shifted its focus from services to manufacturing in a bid to enhance exports. “We have cut down imports from $19 billion to $12 billion with 35 percent decrease while our exports have increased by 6 percent,” he added.

He said the further increase in the export would depend on the growth of the manufacturing sector and the Chinese companies would play a key role in that regard.

Fawad said currently, the country was importing around 1000 MW of solar cells from China. “We can save billions of rupees by setting up manufacturing units in the country for which we are very close to achieving our targets.”

He said attention was also being paid for the provision of potable water and his ministry was in close coordination with the Chinese companies in that regard.

The minister said efforts were on to increase export capacity and his ministry was trying to introduce chemical and Chinese herbal medicines in the country which were very popular in the world.

“We are setting up Asia’s largest herbal medicine park in Pakistan and similarly, there was a focus to enhance precision or high-value agriculture, besides establishment of biotechnology park in the Jhelum district which was an important venture."

Stressing a need to enhance manufacturing capacity, he said China was planning to diversify its industry in the backdrop of its trade war with the US and relocating its industry in Vietnam and the Philippines.

“It provides a good opportunity to Pakistan and I think we should double our efforts to encourage the Chinese entrepreneurs to set up their industrial units in Pakistan,” he added.

Fawad said in his meeting with the Chinese companies, he was trying to convince them to set up solar and battery manufacturing units.

“We will bring the first batch of 8,000 battery rickshaws in the market in very short possible time,” he added.

He also expressed a need to further enhance cooperation on science and technology between the two countries.

During the second leg of his visit, the minister will attend Hunan Innovative Hunan Innovative International Conference on Biomedicine and Chinese Medicine to be held in the Hunan University of Medicine.

He will also attend the inauguration of “Academician Professor Atta-ur-Rehman Belt and Road TCM Research Center established by the Hunan University of Chinese Medicine.

“The establishment of a research center in a Chinese university is a great honour for the country,” he added.