KARACHI, Dec 18: The Sindh government has decided to set up an industrial estate towards the Super Highway on the Northern Bypass.
This was announced by the Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar while inaugurating the industrial park near Shershah here on Thursday.
He pointed out that a 100-acre piece of land had been made available for the proposed industrial estate.
He expressed the hope that the project of industrial park would contribute towards the economic development of Karachi, as well as the province and the country.
He said his government was endeavouring for the provision of more incentives for industrial and agricultural development with an aim of generating more and more job opportunities.
Mr Mahar observed that President Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali were working day and night for the development of the country and prosperity for the citizens.
He spoke of the rich cultural heritage possessed by Sindh the skills by of the people of the province in various fields.
The chief minister announced that the government would play its vital role in promoting cottage and small industry.
He said that Site areas in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Kotri and other cities would be expanded whereas small industrial estates would be developed in small cities because the government alone could not create jobs for hundreds of thousands of unemployed youths. He was confident that private sector would also play its due role in this regard.
Mr Mahar said the Small Industrial Estate Corporation would not be wound up. Instead, he added, it would be reactivated. He held out the assurance that besides providing the required funds, allocation would be made under the head of salaries. He called for efforts towards helping the corporation attain self-reliance and pledged necessary support from the government for the purpose.
Provincial Minister for Industry, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui, speaking on the occasion, said that 80 per cent of traditional handicrafts were produced in Sindh and that the government attached priority to develop cottage industry.
Industry Secretary Raja Mohammad Abbas said that a sum of Rs500 million would be spent on Super Highway Phase-2. He also pointed out that the Sindh Board of Investment had been set up and because of this, there had been an investment of $760 million in the province.
MD of the Sindh Small Industries Corporation Mahmood Ahmed Siddiqui shed light on the corporation’s performance. —APP
