EPZA, KESC to build power plant in Karachi

Facility will ensure continuous power supply to the export zone in the city.


Our Correspondent June 04, 2013
EPZA Chairman Saadat Cheema said the power supply arrangement would be a major initiative in the area of alternative energy. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI:


To ensure continuous and uninterrupted power supply to the Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), the Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) is working with the Karachi Electric Supply Company to establish a 25-megawatt power plant.


In a statement, EPZA Chairman Saadat Cheema said the power supply arrangement would be a major initiative in the area of alternative energy development for ensuring power supply. “A power plant is also proposed for the Gujranwala Export Processing Zone for which EPZA is negotiating tax relief to make it a viable project,” Cheema said.

He said EPZA had very recently redefined its position and introduced a new slogan ‘From Only Karachi to Along with Karachi’. In line with this objective, he said the Gujranwala zone had been inaugurated to foster export culture in the city, which is expected to boost exports by $500 million.

He maintained that EPZA had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development and Management Company to establish an export processing zone initially on an area of 200 acres in the industrial city.

He said Tuwairqi Steel Mills Export Processing Zone, after inauguration in January 2013, had started full-scale commercial production with exports projected at $380 million.

“Despite an unfavourable and challenging global environment, in the first seven months of the current financial year, investors in export processing zones made exports worth $486 million and contributed Rs476 million in presumptive tax to the national exchequer,” he said, adding in fiscal year 2013, 24 new units were approved, which will bring investment of $19.483 million and boost exports to $1 billion, double from the present value.

In order to attract foreign investment, EPZA is in close liaison with commercial counsellors of Pakistan in different countries. For this purpose, it translated its promotional material in many languages for effective communication of its incentives and facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2013.

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COMMENTS (2)

Fahd Ali Raza | 10 years ago | Reply

Hmm. . . even EPZA is focusing on Punjab.

Asjad | 10 years ago | Reply

Power becomes a "local" area, it will help in reducing differences within the federation.

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