Model economic zone to be set up under CPEC

Punjab finance minister for utilising TEVTA to train locals

LAHORE:

A model economic zone will be set up under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to keep overseas Pakistani and Chinese investors’ interests while priority will be given to agriculture and irrigation projects in the second phase of CPEC, said Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht

While presiding over a meeting CPEC projects at the Planning and Development Board on Tuesday, the minister instructed imparting technical training for local labour in accordance with the need and demand of the Chinese partner companies for employment generation.

Further, he instructed that services of Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) institutions should be used for training the local human resource instead of relying on Chinese investment for technical training. He asked the all TEVTA institutions affiliated with NEVTAC be used, which will also increase TEVTA’s capacity.

Also present on the occasion, CPEC Authority Chairman Asim Saleem Bajwa informed the meeting that Chinese companies are ready to invest in economic zones and agriculture sector through government partnership under the second phase of CPEC. In order to increase the interest of Chinese investors, it is necessary for us to introduce business models according to the needs of investors in our industrial zones, he remarked.

He said the livestock and irrigation projects would also be included in the second phase of the CPEC.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2021.

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