Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattan has announced to harmonise the development of mineral sector with the new industrial policy of the present KP government.
He also disclosed that new mineral policy of the province has been finalized while New Mining Act was also in the offing which would help implement the policy to check illegal mining. He told that new industrial estates would be set up in Hattar, Ghazi, Jalozai, D.I.Khan and Nowshera and the KP Govt. will pay five percent rebate on mark up of new industrial units and it would also pay 25 % concession on purchase of plots, machinery transportation expenditures and power charges for new industries.
Expressing satisfaction over making available the modern quarry machinery procured at a cost of four million dollars by KP govt. or marble and granite extraction, the CM 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.
He was addressing as chief guest at inauguration ceremony of the “Quarry Machinery Pool” established at Marble City, Risalpur, district Nowshera on Friday. The Mineral Development Department of KP in collaboration with Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) 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 KP Minister for Mineral Development and Labour, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, Special Assistant to the CM for Industries, Abdul Karim Khan, and president of KP Miners Association, Sher Bandi Khan, Chief Executive of Pakistan Stone Development Company, Zahid Sheikh and Secretary Industries, Aftab Akbar Durrani also spoke on the occasion. The District Nazim Nowshera, Liaqat Khattak, MNA Dr. Imran Khattak, MPA Farid Khan, Secretary Minerals, Dr. Ataur Rahman, representatives of World Bank, MDTF and large number of industrialists and traders attended the function.
Khattak said that nature has blessed KP 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. He, however, said that absence of latest technology and machinery in the mining sector had been a major impediment for smooth progress towards minerals development and this hurdle had now been removed by launching of the Competitive Industries Project.
