With the investment-friendly policies of the incumbent Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and efforts of the KP Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KP-EZDMC), the province is attracting foreign and local investments and growing the province as the land of opportunities. The province has now revived 124 units, which had generated over 3000 employment and investment of Rs2400 million, besides 271 new under-construction units across all economic zones while 86 units have already been operationalized. The business community and officials are attributing the remarkable achievements to Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Special Assistant to KP CM on Industries, Abdul Karim Khan, Secretary Industries, Hamayun Khan and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) KP-EZDMC, Javed Iqbal Khattak. On the directives and guidelines of the Chief Minister, the management of the company is following a highly business-friendly policy and has converted all estate offices to industrial facilitation offices, registered SPV company for flagship Rashakai Special Economic Zone and has also signed a development agreement with China Road and Bridge Company (CRBC). The company has already successfully launched five economic zones including Jalozai EZ, Nowshera EZ (Extension), D.I. Khan EZ, Rashakai EZ and Chitral EZ while fast-track development and provision of utilities to 11 more such schemes are in full swing. Talking to APP, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) KP-EZDMC, Javed Iqbal Khattak said that 59pc work on road infrastructure, 85pc overhead tank, 5MW independent feeder work is in progress while 200 KVA power transformers have already been installed at Jalozai EZ while 55pc work on road infrastructure and 75pc water supply completed, another one 5MW independent feeder in progress and 200 KVA transformer has been installed. The Rashakai SEZ has been energized with 10MW electricity, 80pc work 160MW and 30MMCFD gas provision completed and the access road has been completed. Similarly, work on other SEZs and EZs is also passing through different stages while the PC-I of the Mohmand Special Zone has been submitted to the planning and development department while a request for imposition of section-4 for the acquisition of 140 acres more land, the center of excellence in marble mining & processing technology, feasibility study have also been submitted. Similarly, colonization of the zone has also been started and three units have started production. In D I Khan Economic Zone, work on the rehabilitation of existing infrastructure and colonization has been started and 6 units are operational. A scheme worth Rs835m for the establishment of Buner Marble City has been approved while section-4 has been imposed for setting up Salt & Gypsum City at Karak. The company has also mobilized investment to the tune of Rs165 billion through new and existing economic zones and since March 2020 has allotted 357.61 acres of land to investors. It has also succeeded in savings in infrastructural costs made in Jalozai and Hattar special economic zones. In Jalozai, through reduction of right of way and unnecessary utilization of lanes infrastructure, it has reduced infrastructure cost from Rs3.5 billion to Rs527 million while in Hattar, storm sewer and water supply cost has reduced from Rs2.9 billion to Rs639 million. The company is committed to providing world-class industrial infrastructure and facilitating investors through its industrial facilitation offices. CEO said that KP-EZDMC is the only company in Pakistan, which works on sector-specific industries and for this purpose is working three such economic zones including in mineral and one in salt & gypsum. The mineral sector projects are included Mohmand Economic Zone and Buner Marble City while Salt & Gypsum City-Karak. The aim of these projects is the value-addition of mineral products. For this purpose, he said that the company is making all-out efforts to attract foreign investors and increase the exports of the mineral’s products, besides skill development of the local manpower and promotion of the use of modern technology to present them as efficient sectors of the province. Similarly, another economic zone specified for the fruit & vegetable-related industries is also under consideration at Palai on Swat-Motorway in district Malakand. “The site of the project is situated adjacent to district, which is known for the production of various fruits and vegetable, where the horticultural products would be value-added for both domestic and export purposes,” he concluded.