Daily Times

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Ali Amin Khan Gandapur here on Saturday visited Rashakai Special Economic Zone, Mardan where he held a meeting with a delegation of Chinese experts visiting Pakistan these days.

Matters of mutual interest specially, investment opportunities in the province and prospects to further enhance mutual collaboration in various fields including industries, agriculture and energy an power came under discussion. Besides Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Industries and Technical Education, Abdul Karim Tordher, Chief Secretary Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, Additional Chief Secretary Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, the high ups of Industries department and Federal Board of Investment were also present on the ocassion.

The chief minister cordially welcomed the Chinese delegates to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and expressed the hope that their visit to Pakistan would be beneficial for both the countries with regard to enhancement of Chinese investment in Pakistan.

Talking to the delegates, Ali Amin Gandapur remarked that there was huge potential of foreign investment in Hydel Power, Industries, Agriculture and many other sectors of the province adding that the incumbent provincial government was investing in these potential sectors and it would also welcome foreign investment in these sectors.

Ali Amin Gandapur stated that creating maximum employment opportunities and increasing revenue of the province by effectively utilisinng the available resources and by boosting the potential sectors was one of the priority areas of his government and steps were being taken to this end under a well conceived strategy, adding that the provincial government would not only encourage the Chinese investment in potential sectors of the province but would also facilitate the investor under its Ease of Doing Business policy.

The chief minister said that the provincial government was effectively tapping the hydel power potential of the province to provide its own generated power to the local industries on cheaper rates with the aim to boost the industrial sector and added that his government had established a Grid and Transmission Company of its own to provide cheap electricity to the local industries.

He said that his government would appreciate and welcome foreign investment in grid and transmission sector. Ali Amin Gandapur highlighted the importance of exchanging such expert delegation between the two countries in future as well so that maximum opportunities of mutual collaboration and involvement could be explored to the benefits of both the countries. He assured the delegation that the provincial government would take good care of the security needs of foreign investors working in the province and fool proof security of the foreign investors would be ensured.

The chief minister also visited various newly established industrial units in the Special Economic Zone where he was briefed by the high ups of Industries Department about the industrial units.