Lahore: For facilitating industrial growth in the province, the Punjab government has decided to supply electricity to the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) on an immediate basis, a news source reported. Punjab Chief Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokhar and Federal Power Division Secretary Irfan Ali expressed their views on the matter during a meeting.
Federal secretary of the Board of Investment, managing director of the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), CEO of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (LESCO), along with secretaries of the provincial industries and energy departments, also attended the meeting.
The attendees reviewed proposals regarding provision of the required electricity load to the Sundar Industrial Estate in Lahore, the Quaid-e-Azam Apparel Park in Sheikhupura, and the industrial estates of Rahim Yar Khan, Vehari, Bhalwal, and Faisalabad.
The chief secretary said that industrial progress played a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy. He also cited the example of China which is developing several SEZs in Pakistan under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
He mentioned that the provincial government had introduced several initiatives aimed at simplifying business policies to attract investors, and intended to offer all probable facilities to them, within the ambit of the regulatory framework.
Moreover, he directed the departments concerned to address the issues hindering the development of SEZs on a priority basis. He also asked the officials concerned to keep the federal government updated on this front.
