Ahmed Khan Malik

The Sindh government is working on a policy to expand the industrial zones in Karachi, the commercial hub of Pakistan.

A new zone would be developed on the outskirts of the city along the Northern Bypass, where the provincial government has huge land available for the purpose.  Over 4,000 industrial units operate in the Karachi, Larkana, Hyderabad, Nooriabad, Korti, Nawabshah, and Sukhur districts. 

"The provincial government has allocated Rs846 million for the development of the industrial zone in the current financial year," Bashir Solangi, Director Industries Department, told WealthPK.  He said that special funds had also been set aside for the expansion of the existing industrial zones in the city, and now the master plan for another industrial zone was being finalised. He said that Karachi, being the economic hub of the country, needed more and more industrial zones as it offers a modicum of advantages to the industrialists for being a port city. 

Solangi said that industrialisation was the key to the economic development, and that the provincial government was striving to realise the goal.  Saleh Mohammad, Director of the Established Sindh Economic Zones Management Company (SEZMC), speaking about the industrialisation in the province, said that the company had been working to institutionally facilitate, promote, encourage and enhance the industrial base in the province. He said that SEZMC was facilitating both the domestic and foreign investors to invest in the manufacturing sector by offering special exemptions and incentives leading to reduced costs of doing business with efficient infrastructure. "It is also working for orderly and planned industrial growth by establishing special economic zones such as IT, media, internet, marble cities or any other business cluster subject to the approval of the government of Sindh." 

He said that SEZMC had to identify support services required by each economic zone, industrial estate, and industrial park and facilitate the establishment of a linking mechanism for industries to increase productivity. Mohammad said the company had been facilitating the industries department through technical expertise to work for the establishment of new industrial zones in Karachi.  Sindh is the second-largest province of Pakistan based on its contribution to the agricultural production. It contributes 23% of the country's production in agriculture. It has tremendous potential for investment, particularly in value addition and foreign trade. Over 30% of total large-scale manufacturing units are in Sindh.

Credit: INP-WealthPk