Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here on Saturday that the government is committed to make Pakistan a leading shipbuilding country of the region to take advantage of country's ideal location and realises its true potential in this sector.
The Prime Minister was chairing the first Policy Board meeting on development of shipbuilding industry in Pakistan at the PM House, which approved the work plan for the establishment of two large shipyards on joint venture basis with the leading foreign shipyards of the world.
He said the government is concentrating on the development of shipbuilding industry in the country and establishment of two new shipyards with bigger docks would ensure accommodation of larger vessels.
He said this would also usher in a new era of economic activities, creating new jobs and improving the standard of living of the people. The Prime Minister said shipbuilding industry can become the country's great asset due to its potential and would contribute to the uplift of national economy.
He said the commercially strategic location of Pakistan is a take-off point for such projects. The next 50 years, he added, would see a growing demand for new ships around the world, which is expected to increase manifold in future.
The Prime Minister approved the establishment of Executive Committee, which will ensure implementation of the decisions taken by the Policy Board. He also approved the setting up a separate cell of professionals under MD, KS&EW to undertake approved tasks and handle the work of development of shipbuilding industry in Pakistan.
He emphasised the need for the development of human resource in this sector and asked the Karachi Shipyard to prepare a highly skilled workforce. He said the government is simultaneously taking steps to facilitate and promote the marine equipment manufacturing industries and other support industries in the country.
He was informed that shipbuilding is an attractive industry for developing nations, because shipyards are labour intensive and employ a large number of workers including a wide range of ancillary industry. In his presentation, MD Karachi Shipyard and Engineer Works briefed the meeting about the salient features of the proposed shipyards.
He said that the two shipyards to be built at Gwadar and Port Qasim cover approximately an area of 500 acres and each would also include two dry docks of approximately 600,000 dwt thus catering for building and repair heavy ships.
Highlighting the proposed work plan 2007-08, he said plan envisages the physical demarcation of sites, process of land transfer, feasibility study of sites for shipyards, selection of business house and financial advisor, shortlisting of potential leading shipyards for joint ventures, shortlisting of potential investors, training plan for workforce and ancillary support industry.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan is the chairman of the Policy Board while other members of the board include Governor Sindh, Governor Balochistan, Minister for Port and Shipping, Minister for Defence Production, Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Advisor to the PM on Finance Deputy Chairman Planning commission, Chief of Naval Staff, Secretary Port and Shipping and MD (KS&EW).