LAHORE - Sheikhupura Chamber of Commerce and Industry Saturday threw its full weight behind the Lahore Chamber of Commerces initiative to build a large, efficient and modern Dry Port at Chichukimalian in Sheikhupura district. A consensus to this effect was reached at a meeting held here at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik, President Sheikhupura Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tariq Iqbal Mughal, LCCI Senior Vice President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad, Executive Committee Members Mian Zahid Javaid, Khawaja Khawar Rashid, Wajid Chaudhry, former Executive Committee Member Amjad Chaudhry, Chairman Skill Development Council Rehamtullah Javed and CEO Trafco Group of Companies Tahir Malik also spoke on the occasion. While briefing the participants on Sheikhupura Dry Port project, the LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik said that the Chief Minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif is fully supporting the project while the LCCI has also taken Korean Rail onboard for having freight trains for this mega project. He said that hopefully Pakistan Railways would hand over land to the Sheikhupura Dry Port Trust by March 31, 2011. The LCCI President said that Sheikhupura Dry Port is strategically placed at the doorsteps of five major industrial and commercial cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Gujrat and Sargodha. Shahzad Ali Malik said that the Dry Port will play a major role in reducing delivery time and cost of both exports and imported goods and raw materials. Apart from ensuring a drastic cut in overall production cost, the establishment of Sheikhupura Dry Port would also improve the competitiveness of local manufacturers. He said that the social and economic impact of Sheikhupura Dry Port will lead to substantial improvement in the standard of livings as it is bound to attract new investments and employment opportunities. The LCCI President Shahzad Ali Malik said that the sole objective of having another Dry Port is to make the trade and industry competitive by reducing delivery time and cost. He said that the project was well on way and it would be a fully equipped, State-of-Art Dry Port that would be ensuring cost-effective and efficient logistic solutions to promote economic activities in the region. The LCCI President said that the successful models of private sector-managed Dry Port already exist in the shape of Faisalabad Dry Port and Sialkot Dry Port.