Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has urged the Government should setup export processing zones in all major cities and give incentives to make the products competitive in the international market.
Asad Farid, Acting President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry in a meeting with Zahid Iqbal, Vice Chairman, Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) of Pakistan. He underlined the need of establishing Islamabad Export Processing Zone and assures full support of ICCI to EPZA that would enable the exporters of Federal Capital to increase their exports up to desired level.
Acting President ICCI said that foreign investors should be motivated to invest in EPZs so that the exports from Pakistan could be increased as the country at the moment was in dire need of foreign exchange.
He said that EPZA needs to be more proactive to boost industrialization and augment country’s export by creating facilities for investors to enable them in setup export oriented units which could create job opportunities, bring in new technology and know-how, and attract foreign investment.
Asad Farid was of the view that Pakistan being the agrarian country needs to establish more agricultural export processing zones as establishment of such export processing zones would not only increase the export of farm products, which will be processed in accordance to world standards, manifold but also help exporters to fetch good price.
Speaking on the occasion, Zahid Iqbal said that the EPZA offers the intending investors an excellent, amiable, market-friendly and secure atmosphere in its processing zones. The relevant operative procedures are simple, hassle-free, easy to understand and time-saving. The cost of doing business is competitive in all EPZs as compared to other zones in the region, especially for manufacturing.
He said that EPZA is pursuing an extensive program to create a network of export processing zones in Pakistan. He said that Islamabad EPZ could be established with support and close cooperation of ICCI.
