Mining, energy, tourism sectors to be promoted

The Balochistan government has planned to promote the mining, energy and tourism sectors apart from coastal areas of the province for boosting the revenue of the province.

While speaking to the media, an official of the Balochistan government said that a road network was being laid in every district and various development projects were being initiated under the Quetta development package.

“The government has begun development programmes in all sectors of every district and the completion of these projects will not only benefit the local people but also bring development and prosperity to the region,” he said. “The state's resources were an asset of the people and negligence would not be tolerated in delaying the work on development projects.”

He shed light on how the government was striving hard to resolve the basic issues of people through development, adding that the approved schemes included road and infrastructure rehabilitation, education, health, irrigation, agriculture and drinking water facilities.

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It is pertinent to mention that the Balochistan government has ensured the authorisation of Rs55 billion for the execution of 1,505 development schemes in the province, aimed at elimination uplifting the living standards of people in the remote areas.

The provincial finance department had initiated various development schemes from the public sector development programme and released Rs44 billion for development projects in the province during the financial year 2020-21, an official said.

He added that the government would also approve the remaining schemes out of the total 1,597 schemes in Balochistan. “We are working hard to complete the 499 ongoing schemes in the current fiscal year. The Department of Planning and Development would digitise all the processes and adopt automated procedures in this regard.”

Steps underway to curb smuggling

On the other hand, Chief Collector of Customs Balochistan Gul Rehman on Tuesday said Pakistan Customs personnel were taking effective measures to curb smuggling in the province.

He relayed that during the last six months, more than Rs8.35 billion worth of foreign goods including foreign Iranian diesel along, 704 non-customs paid vehicles had been recovered as well as other goods worth billions of rupees including tyres, cloth, cigarettes, scrap and electronics were seized by custom personnel in respective areas of the province.

Rehman expressed these views while addressing a function held at Customs office in Quetta to mark the International Custom Day.

The ceremony was attended by Customs officers including Collector Customs Preventive Irfan Javed, Collector Appraisal Abdul Waheed Marwat, other members of the Chamber, customs officers and family members of the officers who were martyred during the operations against smugglers.

The chief collector added that the Baleli checkpost has been shifted to Ziarat Cross according to the decision of the Balochistan High Court. “The responsibilities of Customs have also increased along the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route they have played an important role in exports and controlling of illegal import.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2021.