SWABI, Sept 15: Local entrepreneurs have expressed deep concern over a reported decision of the federal government to abandon its plan to set up an export processing zone at the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate.

Talking to Dawn, they said NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, former Industries Minister Liaquat Jatoi and NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani had visited Gadoon on Aug 6, 2003, and announced that an export processing zone would be set up at the Gadoon Estate. A news in this respect was also presented in the PTV bulletin, they claimed.

Sources in the Gadoon Estate said Chairman of the Export Processing Zone Authority (EPZA), Syed Akbar Hussain, had also visited Gadoon in 2003, and during a meeting with entrepreneurs he assured them that an EPZ would be set up.

Gadoon Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fazal Amin said the EPZA chairman asked the industrialists to conduct a survey to determine how many industrial units were ready to work at the EPZ.

He said all necessary information in this respect was provided to the official quarters but no practical measures had been taken by the EPZA. Industrialists at the Gadoon estate said they were assured that a vibrant EPZ would be set up but instead the EPZA gave up the idea.

They said irony was that they had not been informed about the decision so far rather they got information that a decision in this regard had been taken by the federal government.

They said repeated assurances had been given to them by various officials and every time it was claimed that the establishment of the EPZ was in the final stage. Since the withdrawal of about 100 tax incentives enjoyed by the Gadoon Estate in May 1991, the plan to set up the EPZ was the first serious attempt by the government to prevent the estate from total collapse and scuttle the intention of some elements to restart cultivation of poppy crop in the area, they added.

The Gadoon Estate was set up with a view to proving jobs to poppy growers so that they could give up the cultivation of the banned crop. "We have attached great hopes with the EPZ and it was expected that it would help revive sick units of the Gadoon Estate," said an industrialist.