KPEC Project linked to more businesses and jobs

LANDIKOTAL: An official on Monday said that implementation of the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC) had commenced with the financial support of the World Bank, which would not only create business opportunities but would also provide jobs to thousands of people.

Talking to reporters, Khyber district Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao said that $460 million loan for the project had been approved by the World Bank.

“The initiative includes the construction of a four-lane expressway from Peshawar to Torkham border and the establishment of an industrial zone,” he said.He added that a joint venture of the federal and provincial governments was underway aimed at enhancing regional connectivity through a major trade corridor.

The official said the KPEC Project, designed in 2024, had already entered the construction phase consisting of two main components including Infrastructure Development for which $385 million had been allocated.

He said $75 million had been allocated for Industrial Development while $75 million had been earmarked for industrial zones and sub-development projects. Bilal Shahid Rao said that a 47-kilometer-long four-lane expressway was being built from Peshawar to Torkham border, along with a 55-kilometer-long Peshawar Southern Bypass.

He mentioned that the expressway would be linked with the Peshawar Southern Bypass and Grand Trunk(GT) Road to improve connectivity.Rao said the second phase of the KPEC Project included of the establishment of industrial zones in Jamrud (Shakas) and Bara for which land had already been allocated by the provincial government.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Collector of Customs Khwaja Khurram Naeem told The News that the project would boost international trade and create over 100,000 job opportunities.He also confirmed that the plan included of the establishment of a border market to facilitate traders, saying the project would be a game-changer for regional trade.