ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday said that the government was considering a new policy of self-generation of electricity through natural gas to meet the rising domestic demand.
Talking to a 25-member delegation of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) which called on him at the prime minister secretariat, the premier said that that it should be ensured that efficient plants would be raised to conserve maximum energy, according to an official announcement.
The matter would be taken up at the next meeting of the ECC for a final decision, he added. He said that the government was exploring four options to import gas from Iran, Turkmenistan and Qatar to meet the growing energy needs of the country.
The prime minister informed the delegation that a feasibility study of setting up a dry port in Peshawar was underway to exploit business potential of the province. The dry port would be constructed on the basis of private-public partnership.
The prime minister said that the province could serve as a manufacturing hub for goods to Afghanistan and the Central Asian States (CARs). He said the government was providing necessary infrastructure facilities to the business community.
The prime minister said that the government was taking steps to ensure an environment conducive for business to flourish. He said that roads network linking Peshawar with the rest of the country was being improved. Two sections of the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway had already been made operational while work was underway on remaining portions, he added.
The prime minister said he has directed construction of quality motorway linking Karachi to Peshawar which would reduce the distance by about 200 km.
