Karachi: Sindh government to launch Dhabeji Special Economic Zone-CPEC priority project aimed at attracting foreign direct investment, promotion of industrialisation and creation of employment opportunities, said Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon.

Addressing press briefing along with Special Assistant to Chief Minister Sindh for Investment and Public Private Partnership projects Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar here, he said that Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah will perform groundbreaking of project. 

He said that Dhabeji Special Economic Zone is offering 10 year tax holiday to local and foreign investors intending to set up industries in zone while they would enjoy tax exemptions on import of plants and machinery as well.  He informed that DSEZ is priority project under framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and it is being developed in Sindh province under Public Private Partnership mode through an international competitive bidding process.  Zone is expected to attract foreign direct investment of around $ 5 billion and create more than 150,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities, he anticipated adding that investors who wanted to exploit lucrative opportunity being offered were already in contact with concerned authorities.   He termed it as momentous development for Pakistan and the entire region in terms of industrialisation and investment and said that DSEZ could play significant role in stabilizing economy particularly in current economic situation of country.

He said that PPP Sindh government was offering lucrative incentives to investors for luring in foreign investment and for promotion of business and industrial activities in province. SACM Qasim Naveed Qamar informed that DSEZ was being developed with an estimated cost of Rs 24 billion over an area of 1,530 acres of land.  He said that project has distinctive features like proximity to seaport, major highways and main railway line and availability of cheaper labour as well as utilities like electricity, natural gas and water.   

He said that skill development was another aspect of project and technical and vocational training centre will also be established in zone to train local labour in required fields. CEO Sindh Economic Zones Management Company Abdul Azeem Uqaili informed that Sindh government had proposed three important projects- DSEZ, Keti Bandar Port and KCR to JCC of CPEC in 2018.

Published in The Daily National Courier, July, 15 2023

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