New industrial policy to create 1.3m jobs: Buzdar

LAHORE : Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar has said that new industrial policy will augur well for people as it will generate 1.3 million employment opportunities.

Addressing a meeting here on Tuesday, he said that working capacity of half a million employees would also be enhanced through the new policy. He said the government was striving for a 10 percent average annual increase in industrial growth.

Setting up of small and medium size industry will be encouraged by the government under a loan support programme, as it will generate employment opportunities for a large number of people, he added. The chief minister reiterated that interests of the traders and industrialists would be safeguarded and necessary incentives will be given to them because the development of the national economy was directly linked with the strengthening of trade and industry. He said that more facilities would be provided through business registration portal and one window centres to ease the traders and industrialists.

Usman Buzdar said that Allama Iqbal Industrial Estate would be established in Faisalabad on an area of 3,317 acres at an estimated cost of Rs23 billion. He said that nine industrial centres would be established on 10,000 acre to promote the industry in the province adding that necessary steps were being taken in this regard.

He said that 150 acres of land in Gujranwala and 63 acres in Wazirabad had been allocated for setting up small industrial estates. He said that 6,000 persons would get different types of jobs due to the direct investment of six foreign companies. Usman Buzdar said a university of technology would be established in Mandi Bahauddin at an estimated cost of Rs2 billion.

Moreover, 7,000 graduates of Tevta institutions will be given interest-free loans, he added. Meanwhile, the chief minister said in a statement that the mission of setting up a welfare state had been started and the target would be achieved soon.

Audit: Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Ansar Majeed Khan said the decision of special audit of mega projects of the former government was a good omen as the former corrupt government damaged the national exchequer by awarding contracts to its favourite companies. Two families promoted inherited political dictatorship in the guise of democracy.

Ansar said Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of corruption free politics and accountability loving society was perturbing the opposition. He said in Imran Khan’s tenure public money would be spent on masses rather than constructing roads and flyovers.