FPCCI calls for creation of a new industrial zone in Hyderabad, Pakistan
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has called on the authorities to create a new industrial zone in Hyderabad, Pakistan. FPCCI Executive Committee member Adil Siddiqui said that the city’s population growth without new industrial development threatens its economy and social structure. This was reported by Dawn.
The only industrial zone
According to Siddiqui, SITE Hyderabad, established in 1952 on an area of 1,264 acres, remains the city’s only industrial zone. It has 665 enterprises, of which about 450 are operating.
The FPCCI representative noted that SITE Hyderabad is the second-largest industrial zone in Sindh province, but it is deteriorating. According to him, the authorities have taken no steps to expand industrial capacity or develop new areas.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Siddiqui also reported infrastructure problems. According to him, roads in the SITE Hyderabad and Kotri SITE areas have been destroyed by the daily movement of thousands of trucks and containers. Among other issues, he cited water supply, sewerage and treatment facilities in the 74-year-old industrial zone.
Land costs and infrastructure levy
The FPCCI representative said that land prices in the existing zone have risen sharply, while previously affordable industrial land has turned into expensive commercial real estate. In his view, the high cost of acquiring plots limits investors’ ability to invest in equipment, technology and operations. According to Siddiqui, this restrains the opening of new enterprises and forces investors to seek other locations.
Siddiqui called for the creation of affordable industrial zones to attract investment and create jobs. He also demanded the disclosure of data on the use of more than 1.5 trillion Pakistani rupees in infrastructure levy on imports, which, he said, was collected over five years. A total of 1.1 billion rupees was approved for road and drainage works, but, according to the FPCCI representative, there has been no visible progress.
