Nine Special Economic Zones to be set up under CPEC: Senate told

[Ali Tariq]

May 03, 2019

FILE PHOTO

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan has informed the Senate that nine Special Economic Zones (SEZs) would be set up including in Bostan (Balochistan) under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

Responding to various questions during question hour, the minister said a feasibility report for establishing SEZ in Bostan had already been received and he has no information about shifting of proposed SEZ in Bostan to Lasbila.

He said Board of Investment, being the secretariat of Industrial cooperation from Pakistan side and being the Secretariat of the Approvals Committee and Board of Approvals under SEZ Act 2012, provided every possible support and hand holding to the provincial governments, for early development of their SEZ.

He said it was significant to mention that exact date and time for the start of work in the SEZ Bostan can only be ascertained after the receipt of SEZ application from the Government of Balochistan to BOI.

Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Azam Swati told the House during Question Hour that net profit of electricity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amounting to 136 billion rupees has been paid to the province.

He said that remaining 37 billion rupees will be paid in coming months.

Responding to another question, the Minister said Neelum-Jhelum surcharge will end on 30th of June this year.

Minster for Power Omer Ayub said the government is committed to enhance production of renewable energy to twenty percent of the energy mix till 2025.

He said with the increase of production of renewable energy the government will bring down the prices.

To another question regarding oil and gas exploration companies working in Sindh, the Minister told the House that a total of seventeen exploration and production companies are working in Sindh.

He said since August last year twelve exploration wells have been drilled in the province.

The Minister said royalty and windfall levy collected during last five years from the oil reserves discovered in the country is 12.7 million rupees.

The Senate today passed a resolution reaffirming its strong commitment to the freedom of press and expression.

The resolution, moved by Leader of House Shibli Faraz on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day reiterated that access to transparent and reliable information is the corner stone to build fair and impartial institutions and hold leaders accountable.

The resolution paid salutes to the media martyrs who laid down their lives in the line of duty.

The House through its resolution affirmed its complete solidarity and support to the media workers.

Earlier, the chair in his remarks paid tributes to the services of media persons for the nation.

The House will now meet on Monday at 2 pm.

 

[kamranofficial]

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan here on Friday said that nine special economic zones would be established in different areas of the country, including in Bostan area of Balochistan under the umbrella of China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

During the Question Hour, Ali Muhammad told the Senate that a feasibility report for establishing the special economic zone in Bostan had already been received added that he had no information about shifting of a proposed zone in Bostan to Lasbila.

Responding to a question, the minister said that it was significant to mention that exact date and time for the start of work in the Bostan economic zone could only be ascertained after the receipt of economic zone application from the government of Balochistan to BOI.

Earlier, Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) Haroon Sharif had said the government was focusing on the establishment of the prioritized special economic zones (SEZs) under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) on April 20.

Sharif had lauded the cordial relations between Pakistan and China, saying that the government wanted CPEC to be a multidimensional initiative, which would bring foreign direct investment parallel to infrastructure development.

 

[S.Y.A]

Balochistan needs more investment and more attention from the govt.

And please start exporting something, bring up the quality of the products so that they can compete in the international market. otherwise setting up economic zones is useless, we will still be importing material and paying for it with dollars, and then selling it inside Pakistan for rupees.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

Balochistan needs more investment and more attention from the govt...

The province is too big and too underpopulated. It is bigger than the United Kingdom.

 

[S.Y.A]

The province is too big and too underpopulated. It is bigger than the United Kingdom.

then concentrate on a few areas, and urge the population to move to those areas.

 

[Pakistan Space Agency]

then concentrate on a few areas, and urge the population to move to those areas.

That's the idea and it's going to take another decade.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Hearing this news for like a thousand times

9 SEZ
4 SEZ
27 SEZ
2 SEZ
SEZ SEZ SEZ it's high time that start the actual and ground work on these SEZ rather then just talk about them

 

[Sanchez]

When China started reform we had only two things to attract foreign investors, one is the cheap land to lease and the second is cheap labours. If Pakistani believe that you don't have these to offer then forget the dreams of any FDIs. Don't say you welcome FDIs you must tell people that they can make money in Pakistan. Try to get 100000 greedy Chinese buziness men into the CPEC SEZs, then you'll find yourself rich in ten years of time.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

then concentrate on a few areas, and urge the population to move to those areas.

Concentrating on a few areas will just continue to exacerbate the bullshyt from these Baloch thieves.

Concentrate on Gwadar = "That tribe is being preferred"

Concentrate on Quetta = "Pasthuns..Punjabi...domination...ethnic assault"

It's never been about receiving resources only about stealing whatever they do get.

 

[pragmatic_dude]

People are so naive really. Having set up economic zones in itself is nothing noteworthy... The terms of setup is where the real juice of the matter lies.

 

[Ryan]

Concentrating on a few areas will just continue to exacerbate the bullshyt from these Baloch thieves.

Concentrate on Gwadar = "That tribe is being preferred"

Concentrate on Quetta = "Pasthuns..Punjabi...domination...ethnic assault"

It's never been about receiving resources only about stealing whatever they do get.

China started with only 1 SEZ at the very beginning. Shenzhen was chosen as the test bed to acquire the experience, to find the gaps in the institutions and legal regulations, to see if SEZ could bring the positive results. The number of SEZs rose to 4(Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, and Xiamen respectively) in about half a year. Only after 10 years later, SEZs was allowed to set up in other coastal cities. The benefit of starting with small is obvious: the problem can be corrected with less effort and cost.

In Pakistan's case, starting one or two SEZs from somewhere near Karachi and/or Lahore makes most sense economic wise because those are the places with cheap and reliable transportation, as well as abundant human resources.

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

China started with only 1 SEZ at the very beginning.

China is ethnically .... more homogeneous than Pakistan.

Pakistani politicians only care about the future when in reference to their own future. Not the country's.

Currently in Balochistan there's protests by the parties because they believe not enough money is being spent there. But when money is sent it goes to the pockets of politicians and their cronies. Not to the people who being tribal dont raise questions as to why their Chief's house has a well constructed with NGO money. Or how their children are in Paris or London when the literacy rate of their children is nonexistent.