Chinese firms pledge Punjab investment

CM Maryam offers tax, duty relief, encourages women investors

LAHORE:

A delegation of prominent Chinese investors has expressed interest in making investments in Punjab.

During a meeting, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed pleasure upon seeing women investors as part of the Chinese delegation.

The chief minister met the delegation prior to her departure for a visit to Brazil.

She said on the occasion that Punjab possesses immense potential for investment. She added that for the first time, a 'zero time to start' policy had been introduced in Punjab for providing complete facilitation to investors. She said Punjab is going through one of the best phases in terms of investment opportunities.

She underscored that Punjab's industrial zones and parks offer excellent potential for investment.

The chief minister said investors will also be provided tax holidays and import duty relief. She added that infrastructure, information technology and medical tourism present lucrative opportunities for foreign investment in the province.

She added that following her last visit to China, the Punjab government had introduced innovation in medical and other sectors.

She highlighted that real estate and infrastructure sectors in Punjab could yield swift profitable returns, adding that the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) project would serve as a role model of infrastructure development in the province.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz underscored that for the first time, more than 100,000 houses had been constructed within 10 months.

She said that with growth of the tourism sector, there had occurred a rising demand for the construction of more quality hotels to facilitate tourists across Punjab.

She said that for the first time, a glass train and high-speed trains were being introduced in Punjab and a vast area had also been allocated for the establishment of the province's largest medical district.

She emphasised that business processes in Punjab had been fully switched over to an online system, adding that no files or papers were required to launch any business, and investors could apply easily and start their business instantly.

Senior officials from several Chinese companies expressed their keen interest in making investments in multiple sectors in Punjab.

Social protection

During a meeting with parliamentarians and other leaders from Mianwali and Wazirabad, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said pay orders of Rs10,000 each had been delivered at the doorsteps of three million people in Ramazan, whereas 1.5 million people across the province were getting Rs3,000 per month each through ration cards.

The chief minister said protection of lives and properties of people is the responsibility of the state.

She said she would not disappoint the farmers of Punjab. She added that many big projects would be launched for the people of the province..

The parliamentarians expressed gratitude for the launch of the Green Bus project in Mianwali and Wazirabad. They also appreciated the 'clean Punjab' project and pledged to work in unison under her leadership for maintaining law and order in the province.

According to a statement, they also paid tribute to her for launching an e-Biz portal to increase business activities in the province besides her initiative to end illegal occupation of private property.