PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday performed the groundbreaking of the Nowshera Economic Zone Extension Project and distributed letters of plot allotment among investors during a special ceremony.

A statement issued here said the zone’s extension over 76 acres of land would have the capacity of more than 60 industrial units and would generate over 12,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

It added that the initiative was expected to attract an initial investment of Rs1.6 billion.

Special assistant to the chief minister on information Karman Bangash, principal secretary to the chief minister Shahab Ali Shah, chief executive of the KP Management Company Javed Khattak and others attended the ceremony.

CM says project another milestone in province’s industrialisation

The chief minister said the extension of Nowshera economic zone was another milestone in the industrialisation of the province and provision of employment opportunities to the people. He said his government was taking result-oriented steps to stabilise economy and create employment for the people.

Mr Mahmood said the extension of Nowshera economic zone would usher in a new era of industrial development in the province. He was briefed about various aspects of the project.

The officials told him that the economic zone’s extension would happen in the proximity of Azakhel dry port and Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway and therefore, the project offered opportunities for industries and start-ups.

The statement said the project would provide opportunities for pharmaceutical sector, food processing, construction, marble, granite and food packing, whereas industrial products from the zone could find themselves in high-demand areas, including Afghanistan, Central Asia and China.

It said the construction of an access road to the project site and demarcation of industrial units had been completed, while work on infrastructure was in progress.

A total of 1,365 applications have so far been received for setting up industries in the zone.

The statement said the government had already inaugurated the Jalozai economic zone, whereas the Rashakai Special Economic Zone under the CPEC project was ready for inauguration. The Rashakai SEZ will have modern infrastructure and facilities and create around 50,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities.

The meeting informed that the groundbreaking of DI Khan economic zone would be performed soon and a total of 100 industrial units would be established there. The initiative is expected to attract an investment of Rs1.5 billion and generate over 30,000 jobs.

The groundbreaking of Chitral, Ghazi, and Bannu economic zones is also in the pipeline.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2020