The Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA) will set up seven more export processing zones across the country and in Azad Kashmir in near future to accelerate business activities, the General Manager, EPZA, Muhammad Ashraf Wahla said.
Wahla informally told Business Recorder late Saturday evening at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) that the proposed EPZs would be established at potential sites like Larkana, Multan, Sukkur, Faisalabad, Gowadar, Gilgit and Mirpur Azad Kashmir to boost export-oriented industries of these areas.
Special attention has been accorded to speed up the construction of Gowadar Export Processing Zone (GEPZ) aimed at providing infrastructure facilities enabling domestic and foreign investors to set up their industrial units in the zone he said.
At present he said there are EPZs in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Risalpur and Karachi while some foreign investors had already established EPZs like Sandik Export Processing Zone, Recodek Export Processing Zone (Balochistan) Al-Twarqi Steel export processing zone and Khalifah oil refinery (Sindh) providing employment opportunities to the large number of people.
Wahla further revealed that private sector was willing to establish four to five export processing zones, which indicates the utility and benefits of EPZs in the country.
The EPZA has already announced the highly attractive incentives and concessions for the business community for setting up their industrial units in the EPZs of the country to further accelerate the pace of export activities aimed at enhancing the export volume of the country.