peshawar     -   Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Tuesday said the Provincial government was focusing on providing investment-friendly industrial environment to industrialists so that valuable natural resources could be utilized to benefit masses.  

Presiding over a high-level meeting regarding three-year industrial roadmap at Chief Minister Secretariat, he said that completion of ongoing projects in industrial sector would boost economy and create job opportunities in the province in addition to value addition of natural resources. He said the government would go all-out to make province a hub for commerce and trade activities.  

The meeting was attended besides others by Adviser to Chief Minister on Energy and Power Himayat Ullah, Special Assistant on Industries Abdul Kareem, Additional Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah, concerned administrative secretaries and other high officials.  

The meeting was informed that so far seven industrial facilitation centers had been made functional while all zonal offices of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company ( KPEZDMC) had been converted into industrial facilitation centers in order to facilitate investors. The forum was informed that all industrial plots of Jalozai Economic Zone had been sold out in one month. Through the project around 41 thousand direct and indirect job opportunities would be created and investment of Rs.6.3 billion was expected.  

The meeting was apprised that Nowshera Economic Zone extension project comprising 76 acres of land was ready for commercial launching. Over 12 thousand job opportunities and investment of Rs.1.6 billion was expected from the project. Development agreement on Rashakai Special Economic Zone had been signed adding that through project creation of around 0.2 million job opportunities and investment of $1.9 billion was expected.  

The meeting was informed that three different industries would also be made functional in Mohmand Economic Zone. Feasibility study for establishment of centre of excellence in mining processing technologies had been presented to Pak-China Joint Working Group, conversion process of Mohmand Economic Zone into Special Economic Zone had been initiated, the meeting was told. 

The Chief Minister on the occasion was requested to formally inaugurate the newly established D.I. Khan Economic Zone. He was informed that Rs.1.5 billion investment and over 30,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities were expected through this project. 

Under the project, four industrial units were already operational while one industrial unit was under construction whereas construction of four additional industrial units would soon be started. 

Briefing about the upcoming projects of economic zones, the meeting was informed that business plan had been prepared and consultant hired for master planning of 140 acres Chitral Economic Zone. The project would be available for commercial launching by the end of October this year.  

Moreover, master plan for 89 acres Ghazi Economic Zone was completed and the project would also be ready for commercial launching by December this year. The meeting was informed that international tender had been floated for establishment of 3,125 acres Daraban Economic Zone which would be the largest economic zone of the province.  

Daraban Economic Zone was situated at the distance of two kilometer from CPEC route which was an ideal location for international investors. Expected investment through this project was Rs.56 Billion having more than five million direct and indirect employment opportunities. The project would have four hundred industrial units and would be implemented in phased manners, the meeting was informed. 

The Chief Minister directed the authorities concerned to propose this project for inclusion into CPEC projects. The meeting was further informed that PC-I for establishment of Buner Economic Zone was submitted to relevant forum for approval whereas land acquisition process for 408 acres Bannu Economic Zone had been initiated. It was further informed that KPEZDMC was also intended to establish Salt and Gypsum City in Karak in order to ensure value addition in natural resources and facilitate the industrialists.