Daily Times

Provincial Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal has said that a special economic zone (SEZ) and an expo centre will be established in Gujranwala.

He said this while chairing a departmental meeting on Tuesday. The meeting discussed development issues of Gujranwala’s industrial estates and issues of industrialists. President of Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry Omar Ashraf, former presidents, Zahoor Malik and Akhlaq Butt, additional secretary industry and commerce and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

The President of Gujranwala Chamber said, “We are grateful to the government for providing relief to the industrialists during the Covid 19.” He hoped that all the issues of industrial status of Gujranwala would be resolved soon. The provincial minister directed to formulate a plan of action within a week for resolving all the legitimate issues of industrial estates. He said that 100 percent colonisation of industrial estates is the policy of the government. He said that new employment opportunities could be created only by speeding up the process of industrialization.

Industrial estates would be set up at appropriate places along Lahore-Sialkot Motorway and Lahore-Multan Motorway. Mian Aslam Iqbal said that the government is taking all necessary steps to provide relief to the industrialists. “I will visit Gujranwala next week with a package for industries,” he added. Separately, a delegation led by Chairman Pakistan Coating Association Moazzam Rashid called on Mian Aslam Iqbal. Problems facing the coating industry were discussed during the meeting. The delegation demanded to resolve the issue of sales tax refund claims of the coating industry.

Talking to the delegation, Mian Aslam Iqbal said that it is the responsibility of the government to solve the problems of the industrialists and provide them facilities. The issue of sales tax refund of the coating industry will be resolved by contacting the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials, he said.