PESHAWAR, Aug 22: NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman has said that the government is taking all steps required for the development of trade activities in the country, including the tribal areas.

Talking to a six-member delegation of Malakand Association of Trade and Industry here on Monday, he assured that all genuine demands of traders would be met.

Referring to a demand for the establishment of an industrial estate in the area, the governor said that a proposal to establish an industrial estate in Malakand Agency was under consideration where work on the construction of Malakand-III Hydel Power Project was already in progress.

He expressed the hope that a final decision in this regard would be taken soon and all possible facilities would be extended to entrepreneurs.

The delegation, led by the association’s president Haji Ahmad Khan, apprised the governor of the difficulties and problems being faced by traders and industrialists of the area.

The governor said that the policies pursued by the government had given a fillip to economic activities in the country, and people’s socio-economic life was improving as a result.

He added that the government had also taken initiatives to enhance exports on a war footing.

He, however, said that in addition to policy initiatives geared towards boosting trade and industrial activities, infrastructure development was being given top priority.

He said the National Highway Authority was already implementing the construction project of Nowshera-Chitral Highway while the Frontier Highway Authority was tasked with the reconstruction and expansion of the highway from Chakdara up to district Swat.

He assured the delegation that he will ask the two organizations to expedite the pace of work on the ongoing projects.

Referring to a demand that Sui gas should be supplied to the industrial units located in Kubal (Swat) to make the establishment of Malakand Chamber of Commerce and Industry possible, the governor promised that he will contact the federal ministries concerned to get their proposals materialised.

The governor said that the area held great promise for generating economic activities, especially in tourism, and expressed the hope that local entrepreneurs would unlock this potential.

Ahmad Khan and Ameer Rehman invited the governor’s attention towards the problems being faced by the silk and textile industry of Swat.

Not long ago, they said, almost 15,000 families were earning their livelihood from this sector but now most of them were faced with unemployment because of closure of units.