Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in a meeting on Friday with a Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) delegation led by its president Atif Shaikh announced the construction of a ring road around Karachi facilitating freight traffic and outlining the boundaries of peripheral growth of the city.
The 15-member FPCCI delegation met Shah at the Chief Minister House. Industries Minister Jam Ikram Dharejo, Labour Minister Shahid Thahim, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, the secretary industries, secretary labour, Chairman Sindh Revenue Board Asif Memon and other relevant officers also attended the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was to interact with industrialists, listen to their grievances, and seek their proposals for industrial growth by developing new economic zones and infrastructural facilities in Sindh.
The CM said the FPCCI had proposed the construction of an alternative bridge to reduce heavy reliance on the Native Jetty bridge to connect the Karachi Port with the rest of the city. “We are going to constitute a group to take industrialists on board for the development of commerce and industry and facilitate committed industrialists to establish their new industrial units by providing them with security, and necessary facilities.”
Shah said his government was planning to construct an expressway from the Karachi Port to the Malir Expressway in Korangi to facilitate freight traffic from the port to the motorway. “Work on the Malir Expressway is going on at a fast pace and after its opening another expressway from the port to Korangi would be constructed to make the entire segment a ring road.
Street crime
The FPCCI representatives told the CM that street crime was creating problems, particularly in the industrial areas of the city. The CM said that his government had taken strict measures and had made the SHO of the area responsible for any crime. “We have considerably brought the street crimes under control and they will be further reduced,” he said.
Talking about the measures the government had been taking to deal with repeat criminals, the CM said a mechanism had been developed under which the repeat criminals would wear GPS anklets to keep an eye on their movement.
Economic zone
The FPCCI members complained that the development of the Dhabeji Economic Zone’s infrastructure was slow, and the price of the plots was high. The CM said he was not happy with the pace of development works and would call a meeting to fix the problem. “As far as the price of the plot is concerned, we would look into it and may evolve a facility for the industrialists/buyers.”
Shah told the industrialists that his government was establishing two more economic zones – Karachi and Larkana. The SITE Sukkur area was being expanded. “We would offer security, all the facilities and other incentives to the industrialists interested in investing in the economic zone in the rural areas,” he said.
Lyari Expressway
The FPCCI members also complained that heavy traffic was not being allowed on the Lyari Expressway; therefore, it remained underutilized and on top of it failed to fully serve its actual purpose.
The CM told the FPCCI members that he had taken up the matter with the National Highway Authority. “I have offered NHA to hand over the repair, maintenance and operations of the Lyari Expressway to the Sindh government and keep collecting the toll for which the provincial government would make no claim,” he disclosed and hoped the matter would be resolved.
Gas & power
The FPCCI members complained about the acute gas shortage, and said they were using wood and bagasse to meet the gas shortfall. They said the industrial gas rates had been increased manifold as was the case of power tariff.
They said industrial production at such high power and gas rates was not feasible commercially. They urged the CM to play his role in industrial production and growth. The CM assured them that he would talk to the federal government.