By Samia Khalid ISLAMABAD, May 23 (INP-WealthPK): The Mansehra Economic Zone (MNEZ) is an ideal investment platform for local and global companies due to its proximity to the main route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Arbab Haroon, Marketing and Communication Officer at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (KPEZDMC) said while talking to WealthPK that the provincial government of KP has sanctioned the establishment of an industrial economic zone for Mansehra in order to promote small and medium industries in the district. “The KPEZDMC has started receiving applications for the acquisition of plots in the MNEZ. The MNEZ has investment potential totalling  Rs615 million,” he said. The communication officer pointed out that one of the preferred sectors in the zone is mineral processing, as Mansehra is endowed with granite, marble, feldspar, phosphate, chromite, soapstone, and magnesite deposits. “The purpose of introducing an economic zone in Mansehra is to attract investors to the industries established here. A granite and mineral city in Mansehra is being set up to create employment opportunities, while meat and food processing plants are also being planned,” he said. Arbab Haroon said the establishment of MNEZ will create enormous employment opportunities for the local people of Mansehra and other adjoining areas. It has the capacity to generate 12,400 jobs, of which 3,100 are direct and 9,300 are indirect. “The MNEZ will also boost Pakistan’s exports. Industrial products from the MNEZ would meet demand in the local markets of Pakistan and the international markets of Afghanistan and Central Asia. To accomplish this, the investors will be provided an integrated infrastructure and a business-friendly environment for sustainable industrial growth,” he said. Some of the main features of the MNEZ are the provision of developed land for industrialists and locals of the Hazara district, an integrated infrastructure which can attract new businesses, a business-friendly environment for sustainable industrial growth, process innovation according to international standards, and the proximity of highways and CPEC route. Chinese investors have recently expressed interest in investing in mining, steel, and copper industries, as well as setting up mineral processing plants in KP province. One of the attractions for Chinese investors might be the MNEZ. The MNEZ spreads over a total area of 77.5 acres and is geographically located in the district of Mansehra (Mouza Debgran, Jallo, and Madan) in KP. The economic zone site has easy access via the Hazara Expressway (1km), via Mansehra Interchange, and the Karakoram Highway (2km), and is only 25km from Abbottabad district. The ever-flowing Indus River and its spectacular landscape are endowed with a variety of natural resources including perennial water bodies, fertile lands, deep forests, precious gemstones, dimension stones, granite, marble, as well as other endowments such as feldspar, phosphate, chromite, soapstone, and magnetise.