Conducive environment for investment in Punjab: minister

LAHORE : Honorary Consul Generals of 13 countries met Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Chaudhry Shafay Hussain. In the meeting, investment opportunities in Punjab were discussed.

The provincial minister informed about the possibilities of investment in various sectors in Punjab.

Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said there is a very favourable environment for domestic and foreign investment in Punjab. Investors in Special Economic Zones have special privileges; 10-year income tax exemption and one-time facility to import machinery without import duty have also been provided to the investors on investment in Special Economic Zones.

Shafay Hussain said that industrial estates have the best industrial infrastructure. The process of transition of industrial estates to solar energy has also been initiated.

He said that a Garment City on 630 acres area is being built in Quaid-i-Azam Business Park, Sheikhupura. Garment City will be completely on solar energy. Foreign investors in Garment City will be given the best facilities, including accommodation. The promotion of solar energy is the first priority of the government.

The minister said that he has met more than 21 foreign solar energy companies so far. A major Chinese investment company will set up a solar energy plant in Punjab this year. Another Chinese group will set up an electric bike assembling plant in Punjab. Special measures are also being taken for the promotion of fish industry.

Honorary Consul Generals appreciated the steps taken to promote investment in Punjab. Honorary Consul General of Austria Sarmad Amin, Ms Asma of Netherlands, Munir Iqbal of Italy, Shahidsti of Mauritania, Nazir Paracha of Tajikistan, Navid Farid of Norway, Zahid Anjum of Kosovo, Ahmad Hussain of Poland, Zahid Iqbal of Bosnia, Murad Sehgal of Belgium and Honorary Consul General Qazi Humayun of Bangladesh were among those who met with the minister Chaudhry Shafay Hussain.

‘Suthra Punjab’ cleanup operation

The LWMC has accelerated citywide cleanup operation under the ‘Suthra Punjab’ vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The initiative aimed to maintain the beauty of provincial capital with special cleaning activities executed in all nine towns in a phased manner. Special teams have been deployed in China Scheme, Shalimar Town. China Scheme Temporary Collection Point and Fazalpura Waste Enclosure are being maintained as zero waste zones daily. In Shalimar Town, over 800 workers and more than 140 operational vehicles were deployed for a cleanup operation. The efforts resulted in the clearance of 26 waste points and 15 hotspot areas.

LWMC CEO Babar Sahib Din stated that special cleaning arrangements are being made in both urban and rural union councils. According to LWMC spokesperson Umar Chaudhry, special cleaning operations have been completed around Neelam Cinema Commercial Market, Kotli Peer Abdul Rehman, Jameel Park and Janipora.