Khyber Pakhtunkhwa working on new industrial policy

The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is working on the framing of new industrial policy to promote industrialisation and revive sick industrial units in the province. Speaking in response to a question regarding measures for the revival of the sick industrial units in Khyber Assembly, The Provincial Minister for Industries, Ahmad Hussein Shah said that the new industrial policy would be announced by June this financial year.
The assembly proceedings were resumed after remaining adjourned for two days here with Deputy Speaker, Khushdil Khan in the chair. The provincial minister said that that the government was giving priority to industrial development and particularly the revival of the sick industrial units.
He said that out of the 2200 industrial units 282, which 27 percent of the total units have been declared sick. Amongst those 49 units are in Peshawar, Hattar 91, Gadoon Amazai 138 and Nowshera 4. He told the house that a special committee headed by Secretary to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Industries and representatives from Sarhad Development Authority (SDA) has been constituted to identify problems and make recommendations for the revival of the sick industrial units. A special desk, he said was also established at Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).
The committee under a pilot project has also helped revived at least 10 sick industrial units at Hayatabad Industrial Estate, Peshawar have been revived. He said that the provincial government was also working on a plan of the merger of the SDA and Small Industries Development Board (SIDB).
He said that with reforms in SDA, a specific time period would be fixed for the establishment of industrial units in the industrial estates and expiry the allotment of plot would automatically stand cancelled. The provincial minister said that chief minister had also constituted a committee, which have held several meetings and have issued SROs from the federal government. He said that mark up on the industrial loans has been cut down to 7 percent in the province. The recommendations of the committee, he said have been declared as directives of the chief minister.
The minister further told the house that a 14 million dollar Multi-Donors Trust Fund (MDTF) would also be initiated in the province for the up gradation, rehabilitation and capacity building of the industrial units in the province. The minister for industries said that the provincial government is moving forward towards the industrial revival and was hopeful that all sick industrial units would be revived by the end of the tenure of the present coalition government.
He said that the provincial government has also made big achievements in matters relating to electricity load shedding in industrial estates. He said that the tenure of the power load shedding has been cut down from 8 hours to 4 hours while Peshawar High Court have also decided case regarding gas load shedding in favour of the industries.
He said that an industrial estate would also be established in Karak for provision of employment opportunities for the skilled youth of the district while extensions in Hattar and Mardan industrial estates have also been approved. Similarly, in co-operation with Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) marble and granite quarry would be established in Mansehra and Chitral. The minister for industries said that rehabilitation of 6 industrial estates was in progress while three more estates would be established in near future.