Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC) Javed Iqbal Khattak has said that initiatives taken by the company for attracting domestic and foreign investment are receiving a massive response and 298 new industrial units are under construction in different economic zones of the province. Talking to APP, he said that the aims and objectives of the company are to put the province on the track of rapid industrial growth and generate employment opportunities for local youth. He said that due to the availability of natural resources and the geographical advantage of neighbourhood with an export market of Afghanistan, the industrial sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is attracting robust investment in industrial. He said that work on ten more economic zones was in progress in the province, which is receiving acclamation not only within the country rather also from Chinese and overseas Pakistanis investors. Javed Iqbal Khattak said that industrial plots in all newly established zones have already been sold out, saying they are expanding the existing zones to create space for more investors. He said that a crucial project amongst the newly established economic zones is the Rashakai prioritized Special Economic Zone, which is being established under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and has become the only such zone that has become operational. Javed Khattak said that 18 companies including domestic and Chinese enterprises are establishing their industrial units in the Rashakai Special Economic Zone. Furthermore, he said that big groups from across Pakistan are also investing in it. Similarly, he said that another Special Economic Zone has been established on 434 acres of land at Hattar (Haripur) wherein 7 units have already become operational, while 35 more are under construction. He said that keeping in view the natural resources available in the province, the company has also started work on establishing three sector-specific economic zones including one Marble City (Buner), Salt & Gypsum City (Karak) and Marble & Granite at Mohmand. He said that these factors are negating the impression of weak industrial growth in the province. He said that KP has an edge over other provinces as the export market of Afghanistan is at its doorstep. He said that the prospects of energy availability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are also better than in other provinces, which is highly essential for investment in the industrial sector. He invited all Pakistanis to make an investment in KP by establishing industrial units here and assured the provision of all facilities including security, electricity, gas and water through one-window operation to them. He termed the availability of a cheap and hard labour force another advantage of the province and said that it is not only more economical than other parts of the country rather also more than most of our neighbouring countries. He said that all facilities to investors are offered through one-window operation and for this purpose Investors’ Facilitation Centres (IFCs) have been established at all economic zones of the province wherein all issues including the issuance of no objection certificates (NoCs) are issued to them. The CEO KP Economic Zones, who has over 25 years of experience in the promotion of SMEs, also stressed the need for investment in the agricultural sector to prevent the wastage of agricultural produce, saying the province has huge potential for the establishment of processing units. He recalled that even during the period of Corona pandemic when all industrial units were closed only food and pharmaceutical units were operational and earning profit. He was of the view that the margin of profit in these two sectors is also higher than others. He said that by promoting investment in the agricultural sector, we can also encourage the farming community that their product is utilized in the best manner and benefits are pass-on to them. He said that by putting trust in our natural endowments and their value-addition, we can also export them.