Punjab Board of Investment and Trade Chief Executive Amna Cheema has said that due to agreements between the Punjab government and Turk government and companies, municipal services of international standard would become available to the masses while foreign investment would also be promoted.
She was presiding over a meeting held to review progress on the agreements signed between the Punjab government and Turk government and companies.
Amna Cheema said that the PBIT initiated the signing of a comprehensive agreement between the Punjab government and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. She said the PBIT also signed two MoUs: one with FuatCelik Construction Co of Turkey and the other with Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Four letters of interest were submitted by two major Turkish companies, STFA and Kalyon to form joint ventures to set up waste water treatment plants and surface water treatment plants in Lahore and Faisalabad, she added.
She said that comprehensive agreement ensured empowerment of local bodies through trainings, facilitation, upgradations and policy revival to guarantee the provision of better services to the common public. Under the agreement, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality will cooperate with the Punjab government for enhancing technical expertise in local bodies, building control, urban and regional planning, provision and drainage of water, solid waste management and skill development.
She said Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality would also extend technical cooperation for development of urban sectors, capacity building of solid waste management and improving performance of WASA. In solid waste management area Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality would support Punjab in converting waste into energy. The Istanbul Water & Sewerage Administration would support in transforming WASAs into modern, vibrant, customer oriented and an efficient self-sustaining public sector utility.
She said that both parties would jointly or individually organise events, and exchange delegations. She said the parties would also provide each other customise placement of staff, networking of companies for capacity building, knowledge and facilitation services by providing specific information, identification of joint venture partners, facilitating procedural matters with the respective authorities while remaining within their respective legal mandate. In addition, the Punjab government would establish a secretariat in Planning and Development Department for achieving the objectives of this agreement, she added.
Amna further said that the two MoUs were signed between Punjab Investment Board and Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Punjab Investment Board and FuatCelik Construction Co. Turkey. Under the agreements made between Punjab Board of Investment and Trade, Turkish FuatCelik Construction Co and Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, steps would be taken for the promotion of investment, she added.
Amna further said that the Turk company would also invest in rehabilitation of sewerage system. Under the MoU signed between Punjab Board of Investment and Trade and Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, events would be organised to promote trade and investment between Turkey and Punjab and work would be carried out jointly for enhancing investment opportunities, concluded Amna.