Rashakai Special Economic Zone: CM wants all arrangements completed for breaking ground

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Thursday directed that all the arrangements should be completed within the stipulated timeline to ensure formal groundbreaking of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone.

He was presiding over an important meeting to discuss and review the progress on Rashakai Special Economic Zone at the Chief Minister’s House Peshawar, said an official handout.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf central leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, Finance Minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Advisor to CM on Energy and Power Himayatullah Khan, Advisor to CM on Education Ziaullah Bangash, Advisor to CM on merged districts Ajmal Wazir, Special Assistant to CM on Industries Abdul Karim and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The chief minister decided to convene a meeting of officials concerned next week to ensure timely provision of electricity and gas to industrialists in Rashakai Special Economic Zone. He said all the stakeholders should fulfil

their responsibilities in time so that the project can be executed at a rapid pace as per the priorities of the provincial government.

Earlier, the participants of the meeting were briefed in details about the joint venture, frameworks of concession and development agreements for the Rashakai Special Economic Zone, the expected economic impact of the project and the overall progress made so far on the project.

The meeting was informed that the development work of the Rashakai Special Economic Zone would be completed in phased manners.

The joint venture has been set up under the Public-Private Partnership for implementation of the project.

Construction work on the roads has already been initiated to ensure easy access to the economic zone.

It was informed that the PC-I has been approved by DDWP to provide electricity to the industrialists, with the estimated cost of Rs1.8 billion.

Similarly, PC-I has also been presented to the SNGPL for the supply of gas, however timely cooperation of the federal departments concerned was termed essential to provide the facilities of electricity and gas without any delay.

The chief minister asked for a holding a meeting to be attended by all the relevant departments so that pending issues could be resolved and supply of power and gas ensured within the specified timeline.

Rashakai Special Economic Zone is a flagship project of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which will further stabilize the economy by promoting industrialization and creating tremendous employment opportunities, he added.