Four Gwadar factories to come online by December: GPA

ISLAMABAD: The government of Pakistan in collaboration with the Chinese authorities is beefing up efforts to start production activities in at least four factories in Gwadar by December 2017, a senior official said on Wednesday. 

"Beijing has so far invested Rs16 billion on construction activities at Gwadar Port, while Chinese engineers have completed 90 percent of rehabilitation work. Likewise, an agreement has been signed with shipping lines Sinotrans and Cosco", Chairman Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Dostain Khan Jamaldini told a private news channel.

"At Gwadar port, we receive one or two ships in fifteen days but the frequency will eventually increase up to three ships a week in the upcoming months".   Going forward, Jamaldini stressed on the continuity of policies in their true letter and spirit for making the port city the new economic capital of Pakistan. 

“A lot needs to be done if Gwadar is to emerge as multi- dimensional and multi-purpose port of the region,” he said. To a question, he said that four factories would start production in Gwadar by December 2017. “A Pakistani automobile company, which has already established strong footholds in Chinese market, is also among them,” he said.

Jamaldini added that China has already invested $ 50 million in free trade zone at Gwadar. “At least 300 Chinese engineers and subordinate staff have arrived in Pakistan in last six months,” Gwadar port authority chief said.  Currently, Pakistan has two main operating international deep-sea ports, Karachi Port and Port Bin Qasim.  During the coming years, their capacity expansion programs are unlikely to keep pace with the expected growth in demand, resulting in a need for a third port to fill the gap.