Daily Times

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah in his meaningful meeting with the FPCCI delegation led by its President Atif Shaikh announced the construction of a Ring Road facilitating freight traffic and outlining the boundaries of peripheral growth.

The purpose of the meeting with the FPCCI delegation is to interact with industrialists, listen to their grievances, and seek their proposals for industrial growth by developing new economic zones and infrastructural facilities, Murad Shah said and added that the FPCCI has proposed the construction of an alternate bridge to reduce only dependence on native Jetty locally called Netty Jetty. “We are going to constitute a group to take industrialists on board for the development of Commerce & Industry and facilitate serious industrialists to establish their industrial units by providing them security, and necessary facilities.”

This he said while talking to a 15-member delegation of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry at CM House. Minister Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo, Minister Labour Shahid Thahim, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Industries, Secretary Labour, Chairman SRB Asif Memon and other concerned officers also attended the meeting.

Mr Shah said that his government was planning to construct an Expressway from Karachi Port to Malir Expressway at Korangi to facilitate freight traffic from the port to the Motorway. “Work on Malir Expressway is going on the fast track and after its opening another Expressway from Port to Korangi would be constructed to make the entire segment a Ring Road.

The FPCCI representatives told the CM that street crime was creating problems, particularly in the industrial areas. The CM said that his government had taken strict measures and had made the SHOs of the area responsible for any crime. “We have considerably brought the street crime under control and it further be reduced,” he said.

Talking about the measures the Sindh government is taking to deal with repeat criminals, the CM said a mechanism has been developed under which the repeat criminals would be worn with GPS anklets to keep an eye on their movement.

The FPCCI members complained that the development of the Dhabejo Economic Zone’s infrastructure was slow, and the price of the plots was high. The CM said that he was not happy with the pace of development works and would call a meeting to fix the problem. “As far as the price of the plot is concerned, we would look into it and may evolve a facility for the industrialists/buyers,” Mr Shah said.

Murad Ali Shah told the industrialists that his government was establishing two more economic zones – Karachi and Larkana. The SITE Sukkur was being expanded. “We would offer security, all the facilities and other incentives to the industrialists interested in investing in the economic zone in the rural areas,” he said.

The FPCCI member also complained that heavy traffic was not being allowed on the Lyari Expressway (LEW), therefore LEW remained under-utilised and on top of it failed to serve the purpose.

The CM told the FPCCI members that he has taken up the matter with the National Highway Authority. “I have offered NHA to hand over the repair, maintenance and operations of the Lyari Expressway to the Sindh government and keep collecting the Toll for which the provincial government would not claim,” he disclosed and hoped the matter would be resolved.

The FPCCI member complained about the acute gas shortage, and said they were using wood and bagasse to meet the gas shortage. They said that the industrial gas rates have been increased many fold as power tariff. They said that industrial production at such high power and gas rates was not feasible commercially.

They urged the CM to play his role in industrial production and growth. The CM assured them that he would talk to the federal government.

The FPCCI told the CM that the industries have to travel to Hyderabad or Karachi for cargo clearance and trade facilitations.

They requested the chief minister to help them establish Customs Desks at Sukkur and Larkana. The CM assured the FPCCI members that he would talk to the federal government to facilitate them in their respective districts/areas.

The chief minister on the FPCCI representatives’ request directed the Minister Industries Jam Ikramullah Dharejo to activate a liaison committee with the industrialists in which a DIG police would also be inducted so that the police-related issues of the industrialists could be resolved easily.