QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri said on Wednesday that planning for the Gwadar port city should be made keeping in view the future expansion of the city.

Presiding over the first meeting of the Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) on Wednesday, the chief minister approved Gwadar Industrial Estate Special Economic Zone stretching over 3,000 acres and requested the federal government to approve it.

He approved Rs50 million endowment fund for setting up SEZA and requested the federal government to give a matching amount for the purpose.

He said that Bostan and Khuzdar Special Economic Zones had been included in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and termed it a significant development in a recent meeting in Beijing in connection with CPEC projects.

The chief minister approved acquisition of land for Special Economic Zones in Khuzdar, Turbat, Qila Saifullah and Chaman.

Speaking on the occasion, Nawab Zehri said that promoting industrial development was the top priority of the provincial government and he would himself monitor the projects of SEZA and review meetings would be held every month.

The meeting decided to appoint a consultant for preparing a feasibility report within six weeks for the projects.

Following implementation of these decisions, the chief minister said, an era of industrial development would begin in the province and it would provide countless opportunities for employment to youth of Balochistan.

Briefing the meeting, Secretary of Department of Industry Noor Muhammad Jogezai said that machineries imported for the first time for the Special Economic Zones would be given a discount in the Customs duty and these zones would be exempted from income tax for five years.

He said the provincial government would provide basic infrastructure for these zones.

The meeting also decided to start work on similar zones in Dera Murad Jamali, Dasht, Lasbela and Quetta.

Published in Dawn January 26th, 2017