Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken steps to reinvigorate the Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) with a focus on attracting investment, supporting investors, and ensuring efficient development within the Special Economic Zones. “We have nine designated Special Economic Zones, including those overseen by both the provincial and federal governments, as well as the private sector. However, all of them require enhanced productivity and better facilities,” he stated during a SEZA board meeting held at CM House on Tuesday.
The meeting brought together top officials, including Secretary Energy Musadiq Khan, Chairman P&D Najam Shah, Secretary Livestock KazimJatoi, Secretary Finance FayazJatoi, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Agriculture RafiqBuriro, Asif Juma, CEO SEZ Faisal Mujeeb, RehanMujtaba, and FaizanGhori. Murad Shah said that the SEZA was responsible for preparing zone applications, selecting developers, and coordinating with federal and provincial authorities to develop infrastructure. “It has to facilitate the availability of public utilities to zone enterprises as a development plan but all this would be possible when it would appoint professionals to carry forward its business,” he said.
The meeting was told that there were nine notified special economic zones, SITE Larkana, in Sindh, including Khairpur, Dhabeji, BinQasim Industrial Park, Korangi Creek Industrial Park and Nausheroferoze Industrial Park of the federal government and Service Long March, PFB, Armstrong of the private sector. The chief minister said that the SEZA has to work hard to attract investment in all these economic zones and the Khairpur Special Economic has a complete infrastructure that needs to be made fully functional, he said and directed the SEZA to assess the requirements and issues of all the economic zones so that they could be addressed for the strengthening the economy of the country. The CM approved the proposal for the appointment of professionals, such as manager Accounts & Finance, Manager Admin & HR, Manager IT and Operations and Manager legal.
The meeting also decided that the Industries and Investment departments, as well as SITE and SEZA, would collaborate to prepare a comprehensive plan for establishing small economic zones in every district and small industries at tehsil headquarters to promote economic activities and employment. “These proposals will be implemented in phases, but we need to have a comprehensive plan,” the CM said. The CM was told that there were few applications for the establishment of private economic zones by the private sector.
The CM directed the SEZA officials to scrutinise the applications and submit them with their proposals. “We are keen to promote the industrial sector and it was a very good move that the private sector was coming over,” he said and vowed to encourage them and facilitate them.
