In its own wisdom, the caretaker NWFP government is reported to have got prepared a comprehensive document on economic revival in the province, identifying all the problems faced by the industrialists, along with clues to their solutions.
Significantly, the scheme of things in this context was originally unveiled by the Secretary to the NWFP Government on Finance, Abdul Khaliq, in a presentation he made at a meeting chaired by the caretaker Chief Minister Shams-ul-Mulk.
Later, evolved by a working group, headed by Minister for Finance Mohammad Azam Khan, and constituted on the directive of the caretaker Chief Minister, some of its recommendations are stated to have been approved by the provincial cabinet with certain modifications in its meeting of the 13th instant, while the rest of them were left for the future elected government in the province to take up.
Among other things, the working group not only deliberated on the prospects of subsidised electricity from the Malakand-III hydropower project, dismissing its local industrial use unfeasible under the conditions now obtaining. However, as an alternative it came up with the option of putting in place a board of investment from the thrust of public-private partnership (PPP) for promotion of business activities in the province.
Evidently, related to the longstanding demand of the industrialists, the alternative strategy will appear to be wide of the mark. Most probably, cognisant of the mistaken nature of the approach, the cabinet deemed it expedient, instead, to set up another body under the chairmanship of Provincial Industries Secretary. It has been tasked to look into the legal and operational aspects of local utilisation of electricity generated by the upcoming projects for promotion of local investment in hydel power generation projects.
More to this, it also approved the establishment of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) House in Peshawar, directing the Sarhad Development Authority (SDA) for provision of 8-10 kanals plot in the industrial estate.
Informed of the province's lack of trauma-burn and reconstructive surgery centre, the working group is stated to have completed the formalities and now the Provincial Industries Department will pursue the case with the Federal Secretary, Labour, seeking funds from the Workers Welfare Fund for the completion of this scheme at the earliest.
The cabinet also approved a special package for promotion of small and medium enterprise (SME) sector in the province. Under it, the provincial government will provide during the current financial year a credit line of Rs 200 million to banks as deposit at six percent rate of return and the bank will lend to SMEs up to one million rupees at the rate of nine percent return, keeping for itself three percent as service charges.
In respect of the problem of gas load-shedding, it constituted a committee, comprising Secretary, Industries (chairman), District Co-ordination Officers (DCOs) of Peshawar, Kohat and Karak and Chairman of Fata Development Authority (FDA) to co-ordinate with the ANGPL for monitoring progress and making appropriate arrangements to remove bottlenecks to ensure timely completion of the 140-kilometre-long Gurguri-Peshawar gas pipeline by the end of 2009.
And last, but not the least, for facilitation of Afghan Transit Trade, the cabinet approved provision of 50 acres of land for the establishment of an export centre, to be constructed with the financial support of the Federal government.