Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said the provincial government will allot 250 acres of land to a Japanese group of investment, DTS, at the Japan Special Economic Zone, near Dhabeji, in Thatta district, for establishment of IT and engineering related manufacturing industries with expected investment up to $300 million and generating 10,000 job opportunities within two years.
This he decided while holding meeting with the Japanese delegation led by Dr Hironao Takahashi, Chairman, DTS Group, and Honorary Investment Counselor, Board of Investment Pakistan, which called on him at the Chief Minister's House in Karachi on Wednesday. Irfan Ahmed Siddiqui, Project Director of DTS Group of Japan, was also present in the meeting. Secretary to the CM Alamdin Bullo, Secretary Finance Sohail Rajput, Secretary IT Ali Mumtaz Zaidi and DG Sindh Board of Investment (SBOI) Raizuddin Qureshi were present.
The CM said: "We are deeply interested in the Japanese investment in Sindh to take advantage of its technology development. The Sindh government has established the Japan Special Economic Zone with 2,000 acres of land at Dhabeji to facilitate the Japanese investors.
He said that all incentives, necessary facilities and administrative support would be provided to Japanese investors from the Sindh government and even they would be helped to get their other problems (if any) relating to the federal government be solved. The Sindh Chief Minister asked the Japanese delegation to prepare timeframe for the establishment of their industrial units and try to complete the same within two years. He also directed the officials concerned to resolve the issues pertaining to the allotment of land and clear vacant possession of land in question very quickly.
The CM said the Japanese investment will create more than 10,000 job opportunities and asked the Japanese delegates to give priority to the local people in employment. Talking on the occasion, visiting Chairman of DTS Group Dr Hironao Takahashi said his group intended to promote trade and investment activities in Sindh. He said that his group has also made investment of $10 million in IT and telecom sectors in Karachi SITE, Phase II, where software development and call centers have been established over 10 acres of land.
He said his group wanted to extend its investment and bring more investment and technology units from Japan. He said his company has applied for the allotment of 250 acres of land in the Japan Special Economic Zone at Dhabeji. Speaking on the occasion, Irfan Siddiqui, Project Director of DTS Group of Japan said that after the possession of land, the physical work of construction would be started within 3 months and all industrial units within their premises would be established within two years.
He said that this investment of more than $300 million would generate 10,000 job opportunities for the local people and it would bring prosperity in the area. He said that DTS was also running call center and IT (software) development center at Karachi SITE Phase II, where it had provided training to local youths in IT under the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Program.