PM Shehbaz orders 50% public cargo shift to Gwadar Port

• Chinese firms interested in relocating industries to Pakistan.
• PM orders equal participation of students for training in China.
• Chinese experts to be hired end non-trade barriers.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday issued directives to bring 50% of all public sector cargo inland by sea through Gwadar port.

He stated this while chairing a review meeting regarding Chinese investment in Pakistan. During the meeting in Islamabad, the premier was given a detailed briefing on the visit of the delegation of Chinese experts to Pakistan, Radio Pakistan reported.

It was informed that a delegation of Chinese experts visited Pakistan from July 30 to August 6. The Chinese delegation met representatives of various ministries and the ministries gave suggestions regarding increasing cooperation in related fields.

During the visit of the delegation, significant progress was made in terms of cooperation and investment in the fields of trade and investment, energy, agriculture, information technology, communication and infrastructure.

It was briefed that services of Chinese experts will be hired to increase domestic exports and eliminate non-trade barriers. Sectoral roadshows will be organised in different cities in China to increase exports of Pakistani products.

It was apprised that Chinese companies interested in relocating Chinese industries to Pakistan. 

Moreover, the meeting was told that Pakistani students and research scholars will be trained in the field of agriculture in China for which 572 applications have been received so far.

PM Shehbaz directed to give equal participation to students from all provinces for the training.

Last month, the prime minister had directed the authorities concerned to expedite process of implementing the agreements and memorandum of understandings (MoUs) made with the Chinese government and companies, saying that delay in the implementation of the agreements would not be tolerated.

In July this year, Pakistan introduced a new strategy to facilitate joint ventures between Chinese and Pakistani companies to attract Chinese investment in seven key sectors of its economy.

This was announced during a briefing at the joint meeting of the Board of Investment (BoI), chaired by federal ministers Abdul Aleem Khan and Jam Kamal Khan.

Under the strategy, Chinese companies will be invited to invest in Pakistan, with 78 Chinese business organisations and 167 Pakistani companies set to participate in this initiative, as per The News report.

 The effort is expected to significantly enhance the investment sector and strengthen economic ties between the two nations.

The targeted sectors for investment are medical and surgical equipment, plastics, clothing, the leather industry, edible meat, fruits and vegetables, and the waste and fodder sectors.