KARACHI, March 29: The Chief Minister, Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim, has said the Sindh government will provide all possible facilities to local and foreign investors for setting up industrial units in Sindh, especially in Karachi.

Chairing a meeting at the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday, Dr Arbab said that on the recommendation of the Board of Investment, a final decision had been taken for allotment of 1,200 acres of land in Dhabeji for industrial purposes to the Mercedez Demler Company and 400 acres to the Prime Transport Company.

The meeting was attended by Federal Commerce Minister Hamayun Akhtar, State Minister Umer Ghumman, Provincial Ministers Adil Siddiqi, Irfanullah Khan Marwat, Sardar Nadir Akmal Leghari, Adviser on Finance M A Jalil, the chief secretary, secretaries of finance and industries, member land utilization and other senior officials.

The chief minister said President Pervez Musharraf had issued special directives for attracting more and more investment into Sindh and setting up of maximum industrial units here so the province could progress and its people could be provided with maximum employment.

He said the land allotment procedure would be simplified to greatly facilitate investors so they can setup more industries.

He asked the industries department to get projects prepared through experts for establishment of industrial parks. He called for emergency measures for providing basic facilities in the Nooriabad Industrial Estate.

Dr Arbab said industrial plots in the Kotri Industrial Area should be freed from the occupation of the land mafia.

He said that work on plots allotted for industrial purposes must start within six months, and if any unit does not come up in two years, the allotment should be cancelled.

He said that 1,700 acres had been given in Nooriabad for industrial purposes. “It will be investigated whether or not it is being used for the specified purposes,” the chief minister said.

He also said that another 1,300 acres would be given in Nooriabad for industrial units.

The Sindh government, he said, had simplified laws in relation to land for industries during the last two months, adding that such land would be given to industrialists at a price 25 per cent less than the market rate.

He said that conditions in Sindh today were conducive. As a result, foreign investors were showing interest in setting up units in Karachi, he added.

He said the Sindh government will plan setting up industrial parks in Sindh.

He said the Mansha group will be invited to set up industries.

The State Minister, Umer Ghumman, informed the chief minister that the federal government planned to establish a textile city in Sindh, and that foreign investors were keen to make investment worth $12 billion in Sindh.—APP