- Says under new industrial policy incentives and facilities will be extended to marble and granite sector
PESHAWAR, December 11: Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattan has announced to harmonize the development of mineral sector with the new industrial policy of the present Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government. He also disclosed that new mineral policy of the province has been finalised while New Mining Act was also in the offing which would help implement the policy to check illegal mining, says a press release.
The Chief Minister said that new industrial estates would be set up in Hattar, Ghazi, Jalozai, D.I.Khan and Nowshera and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government will pay five percent rebate on mark up of new industrial units and it would also pay 25 per cent concession on purchase of plots, machinery transportation expenditures and power charges for new industries.
He was addressing as chief guest at inauguration ceremony of the “Quarry Machinery Pool” established at Marble City, Risalpur, district Nowshera on Friday.
Expressing satisfaction over making available the modern quarry machinery procured at a cost of four million dollars by KP government for marble and granite extraction, the Chief Minister said that the incentives and facilities under new industrial policy would be extended to marble and granite sector and such industries would also be especially accommodated in the new industrial estates and export processing zones of the province.
The Mineral Development Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) has provided the modern machinery to facilitate the marble and granite miners and industrialists. The World Bank and Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) financially and technically assisted the provincial government for setting up the machinery pool under “Competitive Industries Project” and they will also assist in establishment of a training centre for the miners to equip them with modern quarry techniques and use of the machinery.
The Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said that nature has blessed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with rich treasures of precious metals, stones and other mineral reserves as well as wealth of oil and gas but, he regretted, unfortunately no serious effort was made in the past to exploit these sources for prosperity of the common people.
