QUETTA: In a meeting with federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar, the leaders of the Gadani Shipbreakers Association have called for establishing a special economic zone in Gadani.

The meeting was held during Mr Umar’s visit to Gadani Ship Breaking Yard on Sunday.

The minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government was taking all possible steps for improving the country’s economy and providing maximum relief to the people.

He said the government was aware of problems being faced by the local industry and that measures were being taken to find their solution.

He told the association’s leaders that the issues raised by them regarding tax tariff would be taken up with the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Trade Razak Dawood and a solution would be found.

The minister said the federal government was making policies which could ensure protection of jobs and provide maximum job opportunities to the people. Providing relief to the people was among top priorities of the PTI government, he added.

While referring to problems of the ship breaking industry in Balochistan, he said the issues relating to the tax tariff would be resolved. He welcomed suggestions given by the association’s leaders for establishing a special economic zone in Gadani, saying that establishing a special economic zone in Gadani would give a boost to industrial activities in Balochistan and create new employment opportunities. Mr Umar said he would himself speak to Prime Minister Imran Khan about the idea of establishing a special economic zone in Gadani.

Earlier, Pakistan Shipbreakers Associa­tion chairman Rafiq Salam and vice chairman Abdul Ghani Memon informed the federal minister about their problems. They said the ship breaking industry was providing employment directly to 25,000 people and indirectly to 200,000 people.

They suggested that an iron city and a special economic zone should be established in Gadani for other allied industries. They called for ending the monopoly of a few big industrialists for a free and independent competition in the sector.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2022