PHOTO: REUTERS
LAHORE: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an economic revolution and China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) covers countries and regions with a population of over four billion, said economic experts during a consultative session on ‘Special Economic Zones under CPEC’.
Speaking on the occasion, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform Secretary Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui said that CPEC is a game changing project and people from all walks of life are on the same page as far as this project is concerned.
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The session was jointly organised by the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Board of Investment on Wednesday.
“A number of projects under CPEC have become operational,” said Siddiqui, adding that in order to ensure timely completion the government was working with all stakeholders.
He said that new technologies are being introduced in infrastructure, transportation and engineering sectors due to CPEC projects.
Also addressing the session, LCCI President Abdul Basit said that the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) are an important part of CPEC that would ensure establishment of industrial clusters and would also help in transferring knowledge and technology.
He said that the government will have to develop a better policy for SEZs to increase growth rate and to attract foreign investors towards Pakistan.
Basit emphasised the need for ‘One-Window Operation’ for SEZs under CPEC.
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Experts participating in the session were of the view that CPEC is a 3,218 kilometre long route, to be built over the next several years, consisting of highways, railways and pipelines.
They said that CPEC has drawn global attention and provided Pakistan a unique opportunity to become a global economic leader.
The experts opined that CPEC is an overall cooperation platform with a focus on long-term development of bilateral cooperation in various fields.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 6th, 2017.
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