PESHAWAR: The local business community Wednesday lauded the identification of seven industrial zones on western route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which will boost economic activities in the province.
Commenting on the report regarding identification of 12 potential industrial zones including five in Balochistan and seven in KP, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) president Yusaf Sarwar said the areas identified for establishment of special economic zones on western route were very important from economic and industrial points of view.
He said once these economic zones were developed on the western corridor would generate employment opportunities for youth besides alleviating poverty and attract direct foreign investment.
The KP has proposed seven potential sites that included Marble and Granite Industrial Estate at Mansehra (80 acres), Industrial Estate at Karnal Sher Khan Interchange at M-1, (1000 acres), Expansion of Industrial Estate Hattar Phase VII (424 acres), Industrial Estate D.I.Khan (188 acres), Industrial Estate at the border of Kohat and Karak (1000 acres) and Industrial and Economic Zone Bannu (400 acres) in the report submitted by a high-level committee to the Prime Minister Office the other day.
Yusaf Sarwar said these are ideal places for establishment of industrial zones and link roads should be established to connect these sites to Motorway and CPEC.
“The proposed industrial and special economic zones along the western route would make the province an economic hub,” he said, adding raw materials would easily be transported to these potential sites at a minimum cost.
For investment and establishment of new industries, he said, energy was an important tool and suggested that focus should be made on establishment of energy projects along the CPEC’s western route for uninterrupted power supply to industrial units.
“Without energy, industries cannot get boom and grow,” he said, adding that it would be extremely better to focus on energy sector on western route to bring less developed areas of KP and Balochistan at par with developed regions.
Former KPCCI president Fawad Ishaq said that construction of western corridor would promote investment and trade activities in KP. He said gas, LGN, railways, energy etc were required for establishment of industrial zones and if these facilities were provided along the western route of CPEC it would change destiny of people and would benefit the entire region.
