Imran Zakir
KARACHI: A regional dialogue on China Pakistan Economic Corridor among the Parliamentarians in promoting Exports, Trade and Commerce under CPEC in Sindh, having titled “CPEC Industrial Cooperation and its Way Forward,” jointly organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Planning and Development Government of Sindh held Thursday, at a local hotel, stressed the need sustained economic policies, and further improved security Situation to attract investment for the projects in various sectors under CPEC umbrella.
Dr. Jochen Hippler, Country Director, (Pakistan) Friedrich Ebert Stiftung said, “Political harmony and stability is necessary for CPEC progress.” He said that investors first priority is security especially foreign investors are looking for it and the main component of CPEC is Gwadar where foreigners are not allowed without security clearance to visit than how it is going to be possible that they will invest there in a special interview is given to this scribe after the completion of dialogues among the participants.
He said that Pakistan needs to build democratic trust to become an attractive place for foreign investment. He was of the view that more political harmony was needed in Pakistan to build confidence among the foreign investors, which was must to reap the real benefits of CPEC as a part of China’s One Road-One Belt international initiative. FES was working for promoting social democracy in the world with more than 100 offices in different countries including China.
Dr. Hippler underlined the need for Pakistan to become competitive in the regional and international markets, along with diversifying its export products instead of being confined to textile products to increase its exports as Pakistan’s traditional export goods were losing ground because of increasing competition and innovations. CPEC would keep Pakistani businesses on
Very tough competition. “China is much better in competitiveness,” he remarked.
We, all must keep national interests supreme and behave accordingly because CPEC is our national Project,” said Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on CPEC, Sher Ali Arbab while participating in dialogue. He said, this dialogue was a part of the series of such interactive programmes to be held in different cities of the country including Gwadar and Muzaffarabad to get maximum feedback. The ideas recommendations harvested through these dialogues would be presented at National Conference on CPEC to be held in Islamabad. He said the Parliamentary Committee could better perform only with the support and active participation of all provincial Governments and other stakeholders of CPEC.
“CPEC is originally Pakistan Government’s project but it can’t be successful with full support of provinces and territories.” He said foreign investment was needed for industrial growth in the country and for this purpose a lot of initiatives and work was needed. About Karachi Circular Railways project, he said it was viable project and was proposed in Joint Coordination Committee and hopefully would be included in CPEC.
He said Dhabeji Special Economic Zone and Allama Iqbal Industrial Zones were very viable for investment, but all SEZs would be successful only when there were good infrastructure and utilities available. Now, serious efforts were being made on this account.
He said that Chinese government had given one billion dollars grant for socio-economic initiatives in Pakistan and was willing to give more funds for the same.
Another member of CPEC Committee, PTI’s MNA Sadaqat Ali Khan Abbasi said CPEC was a win-win situation for all the stakeholders. It provided infrastructure development opportunities. The participants emphasized on the need for capacity building of concerned Provincial Government officials to move forward this national project
