CPEC’s 4 SEZs to get gas, electricity connections soon

ISLAMABAD, August 31 (Gwadar Pro)- China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s Rashakai Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will get complete gas connections and supply by December this year, the authorities said.

The SEZ will also get 50-Megawatt (MW) electricity by June 2022, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Omar Ayub Khan said.

Omar Ayub Khan, chaired a high-level meeting to review the progress of Tarbela Hydropower Project (T5), Dasu Hydropower Project and Dasu-Mansehra-Islamabad Transmission Line.

Under the 5th extension of Tarbela Hydropower Project, the power generation capacity of Tarbela Dam will be enhanced by 1410 MW.

Chinese company Century Steel is set to make a US $360 million investment in Pakistan, for which the government has allotted 20 acres of land in the Rashakai SEZ.

The government started the sale of plots in Rashakai SEZ in January and has since then, allotted 585 acres of land to 24 zone enterprises with a planned investment of Pakistani Rs 136.7 billion, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $5.21 million in Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Faisalabad.

Official documents suggest that four out of nine CPEC SEZs are at an advanced stage of development. These include the Rashakai SEZ, Allama Iqbal Industrial City, Faisalabad Bostan SEZ and Dhabeji SEZ.

The government has also approved PC-ls worth over Pakistani Rs 16 billion for gas and electricity providers in the above-mentioned SEZs which are in the advanced stage of development.

The 10 MW electricity was provided to Rashakai SEZ in October 2020 as a short-term arrangement, and 50 MW is to be provided by June 2022, while gasification of the zone is to be completed by December 2021.

The government also provided 10 MW of electricity in Allama Iqbal Industrial City in December 2020 whereas the construction of grid stations for the provision of 20 MW of electricity is in progress with work expected to be completed by December.