District Pre-investment Studies launch
With an objective to provide latest and updated information to the prospective investors, Industries Department, Punjab, in collaboration with the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday launched over 400 pages District PreInvestment Studies.
Besides Agriculture and Livestock, textiles, the report identifies huge investment potential in steel products, construction machinery, food processing, hospital furniture, cooling industry and electrical industry.
The launching ceremony was addressed by LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad, Secretary Industries Dr Shujaat Ali, Director Industries Siddique Sheikh, Managing Director Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC) Farhan Khawaja and Chief Executive Officer Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Javaid Akbar Bhatti.
The report comprises six chapters including Geographical Conditions, Manpower, Natural Resources, Infrastructure facilities, existing pattern of Industrial Development in the district and Future Industrial potential.
The report contains latest information about Industrial Estates, major industrial units, trade and investment policies in vogue, industrial financing facil- ities, industrial incentives, new policy measures regarding declaration of negative and specified positive areas, manpower, production of agriculture crops, fruits, vegetables, livestock, forest resources, minerals/ores, sub-soil water quality/effluent disposal facilities and power/gas supply. The report reveals that the issue of energy shortage can be addressed by dealing with the power generation as an industry. Local and foreign investors have golden opportunity to set up power generation stations based on local and other alternate fuels under the captive power plants policy.
According to report, value addition chain can be maximized by processing agriculture industrial waste like rice husk, cotton stock, maize and corn cob. Herbal products in another untapped area while processing of food products can fetch rich dividends. Similarly Information Technology, Fashion industry and chemical sector have lot to offer. Speaking on the occasion, the LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad called for bringing into utlisation uncultivable land available in the province for the expansion of industrial base.
It is very unfortunate, they said, that all resources are being utilized to provide all facilities to housing schemes while a little has so far been done to ensure facilities in the existing industrial estates.
Mian Abuzar said that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has very recently prepared a report for establishment of another industrial estate in Kala Shah Kaku area as the capacity of existing industrial estates has proved insufficient to accommodate over-swelled industrial load.
He said that the LCCI is making all out efforts and always supports all measures aimed at strengthening liaison and coordination among public and private sectors for the sake of economic well being of the country.
The Secretary Industries, Dr Shujaat Ali, while throwing light on the salient features of the District Pre-Investment Report said that the very objective is to bring into the limelight the investment potential of this part of the country.
He said that the report is a complete study of the available opportunities and has been prepared to provide maximum information to prospective investors.
Director Industries, Punjab, Siddique Sheikh, said that preinvestment report would be beneficial to the private sector as it identifies various industries considering the availability of raw materials, skilled labour and linkage between industrial units and local and international demand.