Including three each in Sindh and Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, seven Special Economic Zones have been established/ notified under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Secretary Board of Investment (BOI) Azher Ali Chaudhry revealed this to Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat during his briefing on Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The committee met with Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood in the chair at the Parliament House.
7 special economic zones finalized so far include three economic zones in Sindh – Khairpur Special Economic Zone, Korangi Creek Industrial Park and Bin Qasim Industrial Park, while three economic zones in Punjab – Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park, Sheikhupura, M-3 Industrial City Faisalabad and Value Added City Faisalabad, and Hattar Economic Zones, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Provision of facilities of natural gas and electricity doesn’t relate to Board of Investment. However, as per information furnished by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources, gas has been provided to Korangi Creek Industrial Park, Sindh. Ministry of Water and Power has provided the electricity to Khairpur Special Economic Zone, M-3 Industrial City and Value Added City, Faisalabad.
New Special Economic Zones are proposed to be established under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The consultation with provinces on the proposed location have also been completed which are now being discussed in the consultative framework of CPEC for final decision.
Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO) is providing 5MW electricity to Khairpur SEZ while the Prime Minister has approved a summary for relaxing ban for gas supply. The government is providing 4MW electricity to Bin Qasim Industrial Park while developer has applied for gas but due to moratorium, it is still pending. An application for 120MW electricity for Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park, Sheikhupura, is under process while application for gas is under consideration. Facility of 132KV of electricity is being provided to Value Added City Faisalabad and application for 132KV grid of Hattar Economic Zone, Haripur, is under process and the ministry has also agreed to provide gas for power generation.
As many as four more applications for establishment of SEZs have been received by BOI, which are under process. They include Bhalwal Industrial Estate, Rahim Yar Khan Industrial Estate, DI Khan Economic Zone and M/s Alman Seyyam Sugar Mills, DI Khan.
Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that the government is providing many facilities to foreign investors of China for industrial zones but it is not ready to provide such facilities to local investors. “It is discrimination. Why is the government providing many facilities to the Chinese investors while the local industries are being deprived of them? The government must provide them facilities too,” he said.
Senator Nauman also proposed establishment of an implementing authority which would play a role in implementation and monitoring of the facilities for SEZs.
Committee Chairman Senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood said that according to his information, Chinese companies have brought prisoners in 60 containers to Pakistan for labour. He added that China would bring 1,000 more prisoners to Pakistan for working on CPEC projects.
