LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Industries Ch. Muhammad Shafique said that Federal and Punjab governments are putting in their best efforts to overcome electricity and gas load shedding. “Steps are being taken on war footings in order to strengthen the national economy. Punjab government is encouraging and providing opportunities to the local and foreign investors to invest in the country” while speaking at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Monday.
LCCI Senior Vice President Mian Nauman Kabri presented the address of welcome while Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi also spoke on the occasion.
Provincial Minister said that all options are being explored to provide uninterrupted power supply to the industry so that industry could grow smoothly and contribute in creating more jobs. He said the Federal as well as Punjab governments were focusing on the alternate energy resources. He said that 60% gas crisis shortage would be resolved once LNG import is started from Qatar.
He further said that concrete measures were being taken to improve the law & order situation as it was a must to encourage foreign and local investment. Provincial Minister said that no department would be allowed to create hurdles in the smooth running of businesses, and industry related issues would be resolved on priority.
Minister said that measures were being taken to enhance skilled manpower and new courses were being introduced in collaboration with TEVTA in this regard. He said that country could earn huge foreign exchange through exporting skilled manpower to the other countries. He informed the house that Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif was personally monitoring energy and economy related matters.
Speaking on the occasion, LCCI Senior Vice President Mian Nauman Kabir said that shortfall which Punjab is facing is not consistent thus pushing the industry further in a state of uncertainty. Even the shortfall isn’t persistent in Punjab for industrialists to plan ahead for an emergency.
He said that over the period of time, the prices of industrial plots in industrial estates have increased way beyond the reach of private sector. For example, in Sundar Industrial Estate, the price of 1 acre plot ranges between 8 to 10 million whereas the same plots were available at much lesser rate some years back. He said that setting up of cottage city in the nearby vicinities of large cities can be beneficial for the uplifting of the economy as well as for the economic alleviation.
Mian Nauman Kabir said that industrial Estates in Lahore should be exempted from load-shedding of gas and electricity completely. LCCI Vice President Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi said that Law and order, investor friendly policies and ease of investing are some of the steps which the Govt. of Punjab should take to attract the local as well as foreign investors in the province. He said that the Govt. of Punjab is in contact with German and Turkish companies but not much investment is seen to have flown in. International conferences should be held in order to generate awareness amongst the foreign investors about the advantages of investing in Punjab.
