April 13, 2007	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1428

QUETTA, April 12: The Balochistan government and a United Arab Emirates firm —HRC — signed an agreement on Thursday under which Gwadar Coast Centre (GCC) would be established for the development of the port city.

Director General of HRC Khalfan Saeed Al-Mazroi, Chairman Balochistan Development Authority (BDA) Farooq Ahmed and Johannes Erskine Flo of the Norwegian firm signed the agreement at a ceremony.

Balochistan Chief Secretary K. B Rind said on the occasion that under the agreement the Gwadar Coast Centre (GCC) would invest $3.2 billion in this mega project.

"This coast centre would be 5th of its kind in the world," he said adding that three coast centres were already working in Norway and one in the United States.

Giving details of the mega project, he said that it would be established at 2,000 acres of land that would generate over 10,000 job opportunities in the port city of Gwadar. The Balochistan government would have 10 per cent shares in the mega project, Rind said.

He said that the project would be completed by 2014 and that would convert Gwadar a modern port city with having all international facilities.

Khalfan Saeed Al-Mazroi of HRC while speaking on the occasion said that signing of this mega project with the Balochistan government reflected very cordial relations with Pakistan and the joint venture would further strengthen relations between both the countries.

He said that implementation on this proposed mega project would help making Gwadar a big international port city. Not only Pakistan but other countries in the region would be benefited from this project, he concluded.

APP adds: The project will ensure setting up an oil and gas service, supply, fabrication and maintenance base in Gwadar city.

The Gwadar Coast Centre (GCC) will be a one-stop-business-hub for all oil and gas services for the entire region, and will secure new exploration projects in Pakistan.

The GCC will be a marketplace spread over 1.087 hectares and will hold a 6.5 to 7 km sea front. The project will have an industrial village and the commercial village.

Additional 200 acres will be sought for building wind farms, gasification and desalination plants using reverse osmosis and some 180 acres will be adjacent for special community landscaping.

HRC Ltd has also joined hands with Green Energy Development PLC to develop and build a Renewable Energy city in the same facility to establish a complete research and manufacturing industry to produce turn-key wind turbines and solar panel systems made in Pakistan under license by world class suppliers.

In addition HRC Ltd will develop a special industry technology center for developing a regional educational, training research and development institute. It will also build an advanced university that will encourage and stimulate international companies to promote their special programmes and courses to be held in Gwadar ultimately making Pakistan an exporting nation for highly skilled labour to special industries within oil and gas.

The GCC and HRC will develop numerous parks, botanical gardens, ponds and artificial lakes connected by paved walkways and palms creating picturesque and tropical scenery. The development is proposed to facilitate marinas, shopping malls, hotel resorts, business hotels, trade centers, equestrian, amusements etc.

The project will bring housing and accommodation for more than 50,000 people, attract more than 1,500 international companies and create thousands of new jobs.