ISLAMABAD: The business community of Islamabad has sought investment opportunities in Faisalabad Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and demanded a new industrial estate in Islamabad region on the pattern of Faisalabad SEZ.

This was stated by the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) president Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan at the conclusion of a recent visit to the SEZs of Faisalabad Industrial Development and Management Company (FIEDMC) as head of a 45-member delegation of to explore industrial cooperation and investment opportunities.

Briefing media persons, the ICCI president said that international standard infrastructure and services were being provided in te Faisalabad SEZ which was commendable and added that these SEZs were providing an ideal environment for investment.

“Pakistan needs an industrial revolution which will help achieve sustainable economic development and get rid of debt burden,” he said adding that the government should establish such modern SEZs across the country including the Islamabad region.

He said that ICCI was working with federal and Punjab governments for a new industrial estate in Islamabad and expressed the hope that FIEDMC would cooperate by sharing its expertise and experience in developing it on modern lines.

Responding to a question he said some ICCI members have shown interest in investment in FIEDMC’s SEZs.

“We have decided to try bringing delegations of foreign diplomats from Islamabad to FIEDMC to show them the investment potential there so that they could encourage investors of their respective countries to invest here too,” he added.

Founder Group Chairman Mian Akram Farid and former President ICCI Khalid Javed also lauded the quality development in FIEDMC’s SEZs and said the government should construct similar types of SEZs in other parts of the country including Islamabad.

FIEDMC Chairman Mian Kashif Ashfaq informed that FIEDMC was ready to provide a separate cluster of 200 to 300 acres in Allama Iqbal Industrial City to ICCI members for setting up industrial units.

He said in the cluster, all the required facilities will be provided to investors as per their needs on priority basis. He further said that the development work in Allama Iqbal Industrial City was in full swing and five major industrial units have already started construction of their production plants.

He said that a utility services center was being set up in Allama Iqbal Industry City for the convenience of investors where representatives of FESCO and SSGPL will be present to provide electricity and gas connections to the investors and they will not have to visit the head offices of these institutions.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2020