Pakistan has established a technical group with China to benefit from Chinese expertise in increasing export potential and developing an export led economy.
Addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Monday, Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said this working group will prepare a roadmap to increase Pakistani exports from existing 32 billion dollars to 100 billion dollars in the first phase and then to 250 billion dollars in the next phase.
The Minister said PML-N led coalition government has accelerated the pace of CPEC projects in the country as they remained stalled during the last four years.
He said scope of CPEC has been broadened from government to government cooperation to business-to-business cooperation.
Regretting that none of the nine industrial economic zones under CPEC could be completed during PTI’s four years, Ahsan Iqbal said we have now taken up this matter and work on these zones will be completed soon.
He said a 100 megawatt transmission line with Iran will be completed by next month solving the electricity problem in Gawadar and its adjoining areas.
The Minister said work on a transmission line to connect Panjgur and Turbat with national grid has also been accelerated and it is expected to be completed by March next year.
He said funds have also been allocated for water pipelines in Gwadar to meet the water need there, while funding of Gwadar University has also been restored and its new campus will be inaugurated by the end of this year.
Ahsan Iqbal said that federal government has announced to provide 2000 boats to poor fishermen in Gawadar and Ministry of Maritime Affairs is procuring boats for this purpose.
Meanwhile, talking to Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong in Islamabad today, the Minister emphasized on several CPEC projects particularly, ML-1 and Karachi Circular Railways which need to be completed at the earliest.
He also proposed establishment of state-of the art National Forensic Lab which will help in the investigation of cases.
The Chinese Ambassador appreciated the efforts of the government especially, the Minister for Planning and Development & Special Initiatives and assured his complete cooperation.
During the meeting, they discussed several other projects in different sectors like energy, information technology, agriculture, cultural and others which will be taken up during prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China from Tuesday.
