May 15, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 9, 1429

PESHAWAR, May 14: The provincial government plans to exempt industrial estates from property tax and give them 25 per cent subsidy on electricity in the next budget with a view to encourage investors and develop local industries.

Officials said a national trade corridor by the name of China City would also be established at the N-35 Motorway in Mansehra to improve trade activities with the neighbouring China.

The step, they said, was aimed at providing facilities to China-based traders to use the national trade corridor for packing of value-added goods. At the moment, they added, China used the road for transportation of goods and raw materials to and from the Gwadar Port and the presence of the new facility would benefit them financially.

They said the main problem they were facing was shortage of technical industrial workers, which was hampering industrial growth, adding that allocation would be made in the coming budget to setup technical training centres to address the problem.

About the planned subsidy on electricity, they said industrial units with relatively higher productivity would also be eligible to receive bonus on electricity subsidy.

In view of power shortage that was affecting industries, they said, it had been planned to use electricity generated by the Malakand Power Plant-III exclusively for local factories to ensure uninterrupted operations of industries. The policy would remain in place for two years, they added.

To tap the province’s natural resources of granite and marble, the officials said, two ‘marble cities’ would be established in Risalpur and Mansehra. Furthermore, the government also planned to exempt local industries from paying two per cent Child Education Cess to further reduce the burden of taxes on industries.

Officials said the government was also taking measures to protect industrialists from paying illegal money to local people for transportation of granite and marble and other raw materials.

In this connection, a plan had been made to give royalty to local people from where raw materials were transported to industrial estates and save truckers from illegal payment to them. “”Legislation will be made to protect industrialists from illegal payment.”

In addition, they said, a committee under secretary for industries with representatives of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry had been set up to locate appropriate sites for construction of the US-sponsored Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in militancy- and earthquake-hit areas of the province.

About other measures being taken for industrial development, they said, an investment facilitation guide would be established to provide guidance to investors.

To take care of health problems of industrial workers, they said, a trauma centre was being established at the Hayatabad Medical Complex with the financial assistance of the Workers Welfare Board, which would provide free treatment to workers.

They said the government also planned to encourage new industries to install own power plants before setting up their units to save them from the problem of electricity shortage.

They said two floors of a multi-storey building being built with the help of the Pakistan Industrial Development Cooperation would be used as a display centre for industries.