QUETTA, March 30: Balochistan will get maximum benefit in the next National Finance Commission award, says Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. He was speaking to leaders of the business community, bankers and members of the Balochistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry here on Tuesday.

Mr Aziz said that President Musharraf and Prime Minister Jamali had called for accommodating maximum demands of the provinces in the next NFC award, making it more acceptable and realistic, adding that they had also called for improving their resource situation.

Highlighting Balochistan's potential in various sectors, including agriculture, oil, gas, mining, fisheries and tourism, the federal finance minister said the government was making efforts for attracting foreign investment in Balochistan.

Focussing on providing better facilities at the Gwadar port, Shaukat Aziz said that transit shipment facility would be provided, enabling businessmen to keep their cargo there for onward shipment to the Gulf states.

The government, he said, was planning to spur tourism in Gwadar, attracting foreign tourists by providing maximum recreational facilities, adding that the Oman government would extend financial assistance in this regard. He reminded that the Chinese government is already helping Pakistan in developing the port.

He said that the development of tourism would translate into provision of jobs to the local people. Shaukat Aziz said that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan had increased by comparison with its trade with Iran, adding one could now spot Pakistani products in Kabul's markets.

He said that in the future, the country's trade with Afghanistan would further improve. The government, he said, was trying to discourage smuggling through transit trade with Afghanistan, adding that X-ray scanning machines would be installed in Peshawar, Torkham, Chaman, Quetta and Karachi to check transit goods.

He said that Pakistan would establish a link with Afghanistan and Central Asian states via Chaman, adding that work would soon start to lay a railway line between Chaman and Kandahar. Two surveys had been carried out in this connection, the federal finance minister said.

Referring to the country's economic recovery, Shaukat Aziz said that Pakistan's economic position was more stable now than in the past, adding that soon the country would free itself from the clutches of the international monetary institutions.

Highlighting economic reforms undertaken by the government, Mr Aziz said job opportunities were being created with an improvement in the country's economic conditions, adding it would help in eradicating poverty and under-development in provinces besides boosting trade and industrial activities.

Agricultural production, he said, was increasing, adding Pakistan produced a record sugarcane crop while registering a nine per cent increase in its rice production.

Pakistan's industrial output, he said, had increased by 15 per cent while people were investing in textile, engineering, automobile and cement industries. Shaukat Aziz said Saindak copper project had been revived with China's help, adding the project would help Balochistan improve its economic conditions.

Earlier, president of the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Haji Ghulam Sarwar, vice-president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Sardar Mohammad Ali Jogezai and other business leaders also spoke on the occasion.

Federal Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz and Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammed Yousuf held a meeting here on Tuesday, APP adds. Ways and means to promote tourism on Balochistan coast was discussed, the news agency said. It was agreed that financial institutions would be approached for extending financing support to investors in Gwadar.