Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has called upon the government to seriously consider establishing a new Industrial Estate in this region to attract new investment, promote industrialization & exports and to create more employment opportunities.
 

Shaban Khalid, President ICCI said that the manufacturing sector is the engine of economic growth and should be high on the priority list of economic revival strategy of the current government. He said ICCI had taken up the matter for new industrial estate with CDA in 2005 and since then ICCI has been pushing CDA for this project, but no progress has been made on this important issue as yet. He said ICCI and CDA had also worked with the Economic Reforms Unit of Ministry of Finance on this project and an area was identified, but the matter is still lingering on and urged that Ministry of Finance should give priority attention to this important project for its materialization.
 

He said the existing industrial areas in Islamabad were established in 1960s, but have now been surrounded by the residential areas due to which the presence of industry has become an environmental pollution risk for the citizens. Thus new industrial estate in Islamabad at a suitable location away from residential localities has assumed an additional significance.
 

Shaban Khalid said this region has great potential to become an industrial hub and a lucrative destination for investors for promoting exports to China, Afghanistan and Central Asian States. New industrial estate would be the crucial step to achieve these objectives.
 

He said economic growth was an important agenda of present government’s manifesto and new industrial estate in an environmental friendly location in this region would contribute significantly to accelerate economic growth as it will promote investment & exports, create new jobs and generate sufficient tax revenue for the national exchequer. 
 

ICCI President emphasized that government should give priority focus to establishing a modern industrial estate in this region as a new model and assured that ICCI is ready to work with the government for early materialization of this important project.