Islamabad, Dec 6: China has been asked to create two model industrial zones in Pakistan on a turnkey basis so that they can be replicated in other parts of the nation, according to Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday.
While presiding over a progress-review conference on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he declared, “These model zones will serve as benchmarks for other industrial zones across the country,” according to a news release.
Senior officials from pertinent departments, members of the Planning Commission, secretaries from various Ministries and Divisions, Tariq Fatemi, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Foreign Affairs, and the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Planning attended the meeting.
The minister also gave the Board of Investment (BOI) instructions to determine whether land in Islamabad is available for the SEZ development. The forum examined developments in several important areas, such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs), Food & Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Energy.
The Ministry of Railways and Communications provided an update on the latest developments regarding the Karakoram Highway (KKH) and ML-1 projects, as well as their future plans. Iqbal mentioned the Chinese Premier’s pledge to send a group of Chinese technical specialists to Pakistan to discuss the ML-1 project.
It was also decided at a recent meeting with the Chinese Ambassador that a group of financial specialists would go with them to guarantee the timely and effective settlement of all project-related issues. Since KKH was a critical project under CPEC Phase II, the minister instructed the National Highway Authority (NHA) to move quickly in conjunction with the Chinese side to ensure its prompt completion.
The minister gave PESCO and the Power Division instructions to promptly power Rashakai SEZ’s internal network and supply electricity to suit its present needs. In reference to Gwadar’s tax exemption policy, officials explained that the China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) and other Free Zone enterprises were eligible for tax holidays and associated benefits under the Finance Act.
As a result, they stated that notifications have already been sent to the appropriate departments, verifying that SEZ businesses operating in Gwadar are exempt from turnover taxes. The minister gave the order to fully ease the travel of experts for agricultural training. The trainees, who will be chosen based on merit from both the public and commercial sectors, will assist in modernizing Pakistani agriculture by learning the newest farm mechanization techniques and technology from China.
Particular preparations for their supply They were also ordered to eat halal food during Ramadan, including Sehri and Iftar. Iqbal reaffirmed the importance of the agricultural sector to Pakistan’s progress and mentioned that the Prime Minister would shortly unveil the domestically developed 5Es National Economic Transformation Plan Framework.
