Edible oil processing zone at Port Qasim proposed

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has called on vanaspati producers to develop a planned zone for edible oil processing at Port Qasim, The Express Tribune reported. He made the appeal to members of the Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association after opening the group's new PVMA House. According to him, the government will help producers establish the zone and supply the facilities they need at the port.

Junaid Anwar pointed to the sector's contribution to state revenue, saying edible oil imports were bringing in large amounts of customs duty and sales tax. He added that the government wants to create industry and trade zones at the port to draw investment and encourage manufacturing and exports. Other planned projects include a 150-acre automotive processing zone, whose capacity will grow in phases according to market demand, and a 250-acre apparel zone.

On land, the minister said allocation issues had been discussed and would be settled gradually, with plots going to investors who present viable business plans. To address water shortages, he suggested a seawater treatment plant, possibly built with the association, to supply treated water to port users. Projections for the apparel zone's first phase point to over 138,000 jobs and roughly $2.2 billion in yearly exports. He also stressed that the government is seeking greater private-sector participation in developing port facilities and industrial activity.