HARIPUR, Dec 4: The government is making efforts to improve industrial infrastructural facilities in Hattar to increase the quantum of investment in the sector, says Omar Ayub Khan, minister of state for finance.

He was addressing at the inaugural ceremony of the Pesco's rural division here on Saturday.

Pesco's chief executive Brig Tahir Saeed Malik, tehsil nazim Iftikhar Ahmad Khan and other officials of the corporation were also present on the occasion.

Omar Ayub said that the government was ensuring provision of basic communication facilities like roads and telephone and utilities like gas and electricity to the industrial zone.

He said that Hattar Taxila road was being reconstructed and wireless local loop telephone exchanges were being installed in the area. Mr Khan said that he was planning to hold talks with the office-bearers of all the chambers of commerce of the country to promote the Hattar Industrial Estate.

He said that the closed unit of Pak-China Fertilizer would be re-activated at a cost of Rs740 million which would create 400 job opportunities to the local people.

He said that installation of seven telephone exchanges and the wireless local loop system was nearing completion at a cost of Rs900 million and various schemes of gas and roads would be completed within the current fiscal year.

Referring to the improvement of the supply of electricity in different areas of Haripur, Mr Khan said the entire power supply system would be revamped and electricity would be provided to all localities in the area by the end of current fiscal year.

Earlier, Pesco chief Brig Tahir Saeed Malik said that the company would spend Rs10 million to augment the Haripur's power supply system and two villages where the electrification process had remained half completed would be electrified by the end of June 2005.

He said that all projects for which Pesco had received work orders would be completed by the end of next month.

He said that earlier, Wapda was bearing Pesco's annual fiscal deficit amounting to Rs10 billion but now Pesco would have to meet its own expenses which necessitated that the losses be brought down and consumers were provided better facilities.