Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi has said that work on various China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in Gwadar continues at a fast pace to develop the port city. Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the minister said Pak-China Friendship Hospital would be constructed at a cost of $100 million to provide state-of-the-art medical facilities to the people. He said the hospital was being constructed on 68 acres of land and one out of six medical blocks and almost 20 percent of the residential blocks were complete.

He said four Chinese companies working in Gwadar would be given exemptions from taxes. The minister said a 300 megawatts coal-powered plant was also being set up in Gwadar. A plant to treat hard water for human consumption is also being established, which will process 500,000 gallons of water daily. Zaidi said that work on Gwadar airport was under way and it would be an international airport with world class facilities for passengers and cargo handling.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman China Overseas Port Holding Company Zhang Baozhong said the project of Gwadar Port was first awarded to a Singaporean company which wasted many years without starting the work. He said the incumbent government of Pakistan took immediate steps to resolve problems being faced by Chinese companies. The government proved that it believed on practical work, he added.

Zhang Baozhong said people of Gwadar were very hard working and peace-loving and a bright future awaited them with the development of Gwadar Port and other infrastructure in the city. He assured that billions of dollars of investments would be made in Gwadar that would provide a large number of jobs to the local people. He said Gwadar would become a new economic hub of Pakistan. The CEO of Chinese company appreciated Pakistan government, Pakistan Army and other institutions in providing maximum facilitation to Chinese companies working on various projects in Gwadar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019