KARACHI: The government has invited vanaspati manufacturers to establish an edible oil industrial city at Port Qasim, offering to facilitate the industry and provide the necessary facilities for the proposed zone.
Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry extended the invitation while addressing members of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturing Association (PVMA) after inaugurating its house.
He said the edible oil industry was among the major contributors to government revenue, generating substantial customs duty and sales tax from imports.
The minister said the government intended to develop industrial and commercial zones at the port to attract investment and promote manufacturing and exports.
He said an automotive processing zone would be set up on 150 acres at Port Qasim, with capacity to be expanded in phases in line with market demand, while a 250-acre apparel zone was also planned, whose first phase was projected to create more than 138,000 jobs and generate annual exports of around $2.2bn.
Junaid Chaudhry said issues relating to land at Port Qasim had been taken up and would be resolved over time, with land to be allotted to investors coming forward with viable business plans.
Referring to the water shortage at the port, he said a seawater treatment plant could be established under a business model in collaboration with the PVMA, with treated water reused at the port, and invited the association to work with Port Qasim to establish and operate a system meeting industries’ water requirement.
He said the government was seeking greater private-sector participation in the development of facilities and industrial activity at Port Qasim.
