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One such advantage may lie in Afghanistan's geographic location.  The New Silk Road strategy, often promoted by the United States, aims at linking Afghanistan with its South and Central Asian neighbors, transforming the country into a nucleus for regional trade. Focus should also be placed on rebuilding the oil and gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and on to Pakistan and India.  If done right, these initiatives might enable Afghanistan to attract increased foreign investment, connect the country to foreign markets, and promote growth, gradually reducing its dependence on foreign aid. However, the key to such a scenario lies in Afghanistan's relations with regional players, in particular Pakistan. Given its location, Pakistan is expected to serve as the main transit route for Afghan exports and access to the port cities of Gwadar and Karachi will remain crucial to Afghanistan's development.

foreignpolicy.com

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Imran Khan vows package for Balochistan

Tehreek-e-Insaf chief holds talks with nationalists ahead of Quetta rally

Dubai: Chief of Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has said he will announce a new package for the people of Balochistan province, who he says are deprived of their rights.

"We will address grievances of our Baloch brothers through reconciliatory talks in a democratic way and will end military operation," said Imran Khan, who held a crucial meeting in Dubai with an important Baloch leader, Sardar Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) and former chief minister of Balochistan province.

The talks were a part of Khan's strategy to make inroads into Balochistan — the largest province of Pakistan in terms of area — and muster support of Baloch nationalist leaders, who are at daggers drawn with the government and, especially, against Pakistan army.

www.gulfnews.com

GPA gets new chairman
By our correspondent

KARACHI: The new Chairman of Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) Dr Pervaiz Abbas has assumed office from February 1, a port official said on Wednesday. Abbas, a grade-20 District Management Group (DMG) officer, has replaced Aslam Hayat as Chairman Gwadar Port Authority, he said. Replying to a query by The News, Dr Abbas confirmed that he had been appointed as Chairman GPA and was on his way for Gwadar. Abbas has also served as Joint Secretary of Ports and Shipping. His last deputation was on the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC), as director-general.
/www.thenews.com.pk

 

THE President of Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry has spoken his heart that the on going insurgency in Balochistan cannot be pacified by any Sardar or tribal chief but through implementation of development polices and fair distribution of resources among the local population. Talking to media persons in Karachi Tuesday Mir Naveed Kalmati was sure that the time has not slipped out of hands and the insurgency could be defused by involving people in economic and development activities.

While fully endorsing the assessment of the situation and the cure needed given by the head of Gwadar Chamber, we believe that the people of Balochistan deserve fair treatment when it comes to jobs, education, health and other facilities. After the announcement of last NFC Award the Province is getting enough financial resources but where these are being spent is any body’s guess. Development schemes are prepared and allocations made on paper but on the ground there is no economic or development activity and the money goes into the pockets of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats who least care for the poor masses. These very people then blame the Federal Government for the sufferings of the Balochs and incite them to take up arms with the sole purpose to blackmail the leadership in Islamabad in the name of pacifying those on the mountains. With vast areas, abundance of natural resources and small population, it is not an uphill task to provide jobs to the locals to enable them to earn livelihood, provided there is sincerity of purpose. Mr Kalmati rightly pointed out that when Gwadar Port handled a huge urea consignment recently by unloading 18 ships, thousands of people got economic relief as they were engaged in unloading, transportation and other activities. There were many projects for Gwadar port including export processing zone, setting up of an oil refinery, laying of railways track and construction of highway upto Rathodero and we hope that the Federal Government would pay attention to them for their fast track implementation to create economic opportunities for the people that would encourage the misguided elements to join the national mainstream as one cannot expect this from the inefficient and tainted Balochistan Government which is least concerned about situation in the Province.

pakobserver.net

Govt asked to divert ATT to Gwadar port

 

KARACHI: The Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has urged the federal government to divert the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) cargo handling to Gwadar port on permanent basis and initiate ferry service for intending pilgrims to Iran. GCCI President Mir Naveed Kalmati at a news briefing here on Tuesday said that the only way to counter insurgency in Balochistan was to provide jobs to the youth and create economic activity of permanent nature

 

He further demanded that trade with Iran should also be allowed, which will not only encourage two-way trade through official channels but also discourage smuggling which is causing huge revenue losses.

He said the federal government should have diverted all cargo meant for allied forces in Afghanistan to Gwadar port from the day one as this would have not only helped to make the port operational but western nations’ assistance for developing road network should have also been sought.

“If a ferry service is initiated from Gwadar port for intending pilgrims to holy places in Iran it will not only reduce travelling cost but also the distance because within two hours pilgrims will reach Chabahar port in Iran,” Kalamti explained.

He said annually around 0.4 to 0.5 million pilgrims go to Iran from Pakistan and this would help generate permanent nature of commercial activity in Gwadar in particular and district Makran as a whole.

He referred to recent imports of around 722,000 tons of urea by the government and was handled at the Gwadar port. In total, he said 18 ships loaded with urea were handled in a record period of 40 days without paying a single penny towards demurrage. Never in the past huge quantum of any bulk commodity had been handled without paying millions in
demurrage because ships had to wait for weeks at outer anchorage for berthing turn.

Mr Kalmati said urea handling activity at Gwadar port created diverse economic activities starting from providing clearing and shipping services to unloading, trucking, transportation and other allied services to the workforce engaged in entire operation and movement of urea.

In short, he said many locals got involved in various trades and services because on an average 19,100 tons urea were daily unloaded from ships and around 15,000 to 16,000 tons were transported from the port area to Karachi through the Coastal Highway.

He said that it was highly encouraging that around 35 per cent of transport involved in urea haulage was owned by locals and remaining 65 per cent by people from other provinces.

Since the port had been creating job opportunities the law and order situation in the district Makran was far better than other districts of the province.

 

daily dawn

The Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project would be financed through public-private partnership (PPP) with a debt equity ratio of 70:30 percent with the government estimating that 100 km pipeline construction, from Iran border to Gwadar, would cost $150 to $200 million, it is learnt.

 

 

Sources said that Finance Advisor would arrange private equity and debt financing for the project with the equity mix of 40:40:20 percent, representing public sector enterprises (PSEs), private investment, and IPO, respectively.

On January, 4, the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet approved $200 million sovereign guarantee for the project and appointment of Financial Advisor consisting of a consortium of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Habib Bank (HBL) and Ernest Young Ford Rhodes Sidaat Hyder (EYFRS).

The investment equity of PSEs would be $50-75 million for first 100 km and bridge financing of $100-125 million would be managed either from the local or international sources, which would be backed by the Ministry of Finance guarantee.

The government would also raise revenue from imposition of gas infrastructure development cess for repayment of interest/mark-up due on bridge financing.

 

 

Sources said that public-private partnership (PPP) structure would entail setting up of a 'Special Purpose Vehicle PipeCo', which would be responsible for financing, construction, and operation of the IP gas pipeline and earn gas transportation fee guaranteed from the government.

However, the Inter-State Gas System (ISGS) would remain owner and manager of the gas pipeline project and investor in PipeCo would be offered sovereign bond yield plus 6 percent rate of return their equity.

On the issue of equity commitment by PSEs, Secretary Finance Dr Waqar Masood reportedly said that in case the PSEs are not able to invest, the government would arrange investment through other means, or investors.

 

 

The Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), Pak Arab Refinery Limited (Parco), Employees Old-age Benefit Institution (EOBI) Government Holding Private Limited (GHPL), Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDC) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were authorised to inject equity in the project through ISGS.

The NBP and OGDC have reportedly expressed concern that their participation in the project might hurt their presence and operation in the international market in case of UN, US and EU sanctions on Iran.

The EOBI said it would require a nod from the Ministry of Finance for making investment in the project, and Parco's major concern was circular debt issue.

The meeting decided to continue exploring the possibilities for PSEs' investment in the project by removing bottlenecks.

 

 

 

Copyright Business Recorder, 2012

Foreign investors endorse Pakistan’s rich investment potential

By Shafek E Koreshe

Foreign investors endorse Pakistan’s rich investment potential

By Shafek E Koreshe

DAVOS, Jan 28 (APP)  - Foreign investors gathered here at the World Economic Forum Saturday lauded Pakistan’s rich potential, its liberal trade policies and urged others to follow suit by injecting money in its diverse sectors. Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani who hosted a business luncheon in honour of the heads and representatives of business houses from across the world, wooed foreign businessmen and multinational companies to benefit from Pakistan’s investment regime as the country offered promising opportunities in energy, infrastructure and livestock sectors

He said the port facilities at Karachi and Gwadar had the capacity to cater for the requirements of Central Asian States and even Western parts of China.He mentioned the country’s rich natural resources of gold, copper, coal, gas and even rare earth metals

/app.com.pk/

Gwadar Port : Hidden forces creating hurdles in development: MNAs

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The legislators on Thursday expressed their apprehensions that some hidden forces are behind the scene creating hindrance in the full functionality of Gwadar Port, which is already developed but cannot complete its roads connectivity with rest of the country.

Members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Ports and Shipping expressed these views during a meeting under the chairmanship of Rana Mahmood-ul-Hassan.

The members said some friendly neighbour countries are also involved in disrupting the smooth functionality of the port, which is in the best interest of the country. When the government wanted to develop the Karachi Port, same types of hurdles were created by neighbouring countries. However, the members stressed for creation of unity and fully operational the Gwadar Port. Everyone has to keep the national interest on top.

MNA Nasir Ali Shah claimed there will be no example of any port in the world, which is constructed in instalments. He said functionality of this port is not the priority of the government. Gwadar Port will not be completed by 2025 if the government does not allocate and release funds for Gwadar connectivity roads network. Without road connectivity, he said this port is a total failure and all the money spent over will be a waste. He also expressed his astonishment over the fact that Port of Singapore earned more money than the port authority itself. Like Sandak and Reko Diq, these foreigners just took away the resources of Balochistan and the people of the area are left at the mercy of nature.

Chairman of the committee said if the prime minister can approve Rs 47 billion for Multan Package then he should also approve special funds for construction of Gwadar roads network.

Officials of the National Highway Authority (NHA) briefed the committee about its ongoing construction of roads in Balochistan. They said that development works on Makran Coastal Highway was in progress but the work was delayed due to non-availability of funds. The 2010 floods resulted in a cut in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2010-11 and the NHA funds were cut by 50 percent from Rs 36 billion to Rs 18 billion last year.

Such a cut of funds badly affects the progress on construction of roads across the country including Balochistan. The officials of NHA also informed the committee that a contractor on Makran Coastal Highway was killed. The law and order creates hurdles in execution of the project, which further delay the completion of the project.

The NHA requires Rs 2 billion urgently for this project and the government allocated Rs 1.5 billion in the PSDP 2011-12, which also prolongs the time period of completion of this national importance project.

MNA Fouzia Wahab speaking on the occasion said that under the new National Finance Commission Award, the share of Balochistan province is increased from Rs 35 billion to Rs 90 billion. Apart from these amounts, she said the government also allocated more funds under special package for Balochistan. The provincial government of Balochistan has to spare some money for this important project because major benefits of it will go to the province. Funds generation for the government is the most difficult job because imposing new taxes is strongly resisted by the people. Ports and Shipping secretary informed the committee that up till now 105 containers enter the country through Gwadar Port and each container generates employment to 240 persons. Only urea fertilizer, wheat and sugar are imported into the country through this port.

MNA Nosheen Saeed informed the committee that when Pakistan stopped NATO containers, it cost the forces $500 per container while transporting through other routes. Why is Pakistan not demanding such compensation while allowing NATO containers to pass through using our network. Same is the case of Gwadar Port, she said if developed will also benefit trade with China and India. There is great potential and stressed that the port road connectivity might be completed earlier.

Chairman of the committee decided to hold the next meeting in Gwadar where all stakeholders will be briefed by the committee and efforts will speed up the work on its road construction.

ww.dailytimes.com.pk

 

Balochistan govt to computerize land records.

 

QUETTA: Government of Balochistan has decided to computerize the record of all lands in the province in order to settle the ownership issues for ever.

The decision was made in a meeting chaired by the Provincial Revenue Minister Engineer Zmarak Khan Achakzai and attended by Chief Secretary Ahmad Bakhsh Lehri and other senior officials.

The meeting also decided to award ownership rights of land to the residents of Shambay Samael locality at Gwadar town.

The meeting also decided to computerize the record of all lands in the province in order to settle the ownership issues for ever. Initially the department would start the computerization process from Gwadar which would gradually be extended to other parts of the province.

The meeting also formed a committee which would review the computerization process and present its recommendations to the government.

The meeting also decided to launch operation to vacate the public lands from encroachers and occupiers. (APP)

BBC So Asia: Pakistan ports to receive over 3m dollars for parked NATO containers report
2012 01 25 11:43:42.415 GMT

Text of report headlined "Blockage of supplies; over 5,000 NATO
containers stranded at Pakistani ports" published by Pakistani
newspaper Ausaf on 22 January

Karachi, More than 5,500 NATO containers and vehicles are stranded at
Pakistani ports following the blockade of the NATO supply line. The
three ports in which the NATO containers are stranded are expected to
receive 300m rupees [3.3m dollars] demurrage for the parked NATO
containers.

Pakistan blocked the NATO supply route (to Afghanistan) after an
attack on a border checkpoint. As a result, more than 5,800 NATO
containers and other vehicles are parked at Karachi Port Trust, Port
Qasim, and Gwadar Port for the past two months. The demurrage for each
vehicle is around 1,400 rupees [15.5 dollars] per day. According to an
estimate, the Pakistani ports are expected to receive 300m rupees
[3.3m rupees] per month as demurrage charges.

Originally published by Ausaf, Islamabad, in Urdu 22 Jan 12, p5.

(c) 2012 BBC Monitoring South Asia. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All
rights Reserved.

Reko Diq copper-cum-gold mine, Gwadar port and untapped oil and gas resources of Balochistan have the potential to turn around the economy of the province and that of the country in a matter of few years. Unfortunately, these mega projects having far reaching economic implications for the country have been webbed in by political compulsions and legal lacunas.
It is high time that the people and the government of Pakistan decades’ to break themselves free from the entwinements of the major power and take control of their own destiny. We must stop blaming regional and international players for lack of development in the province.

The government took refuge behind such pretexts for last sixty-three year, which only contributed towards worsening of the situation in the province.

Back in October 2011 Chief Minister of Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani had said, “Some international forces also did not want the port (Gwadar) to become fully functional because they felt it would be detrimental to their interests.” Such notions reflect defeatist attitude. What people demand from present leadership is that it must take charge of the situation and work for the betterment of the people irrespective of the odds.

Feasibility study of Gwadar Port was started in 1993, however, its construction commenced in 2002 with Chinese collaboration. Construction work was completed in 2007, but ironically without necessary road and rail infrastructure.

Due to lack of connectivity the port isn’t fully operational even in 2012. A facility that has the potential to turnaround the economy of the country is lying redundant. Obsequiously Musharraf government opted to award the contract to operate the port to the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) for forty years, which will terminate in 2047. The PSA has done nothing to improve the operations of the port.

Nawab Aslam Raisani is seeking cancellation of the contract with the PSA International Ltd on the ground that the deal signed was “one-sided.” The contract was also challenged in the Supreme Court and the matter is pending. In spite of all these efforts the operations of the port will remain hostage to this contract unless government decides to resolve this issue at priority.

The major impairment in the operationalisation of Gwadar Port is lack of communication infrastructure connecting it with national road and rail network.

The port was to have three road links connecting it with Karachi, Punjab and with Quetta. So far only coastal highway connecting Gwadar with Karachi has been completed. This road has no or very little value from the point of view of operationalisation of the port as it would be illogical to get the cargo off loaded at Gwadar and then transport the same to Karachi by road.
The work on Gwadar-Turbat-Hoshab section of M-8 is likely to be completed by Dec 2012. However, work on 414km long Hoshab-Awaran-Khuzdar section of M-8 will start in second phase. Therefore, no time frame can be given as to when the port would be connected with Punjab. Work on 454km long Hoshab-Panjgur-Naag-Basima-Sorab section of M-8 connecting Gwadar with Quetta is scheduled to be completed by June 2014. Gwadar Port was planned to be linked with railway network at Mastung located on Quetta-Taftan section for which only feasibility study has been completed. It is any bodies guess that how much time it will take to lay 901 km of railway track in rugged terrain of Balochistan. These disappointing facts reflect on the criminal neglect by the decision makers.
. Army is also putting in its best and has made remarkable contributions especially in education sector. Their efforts range from setting up of a medical college to establishment of technical institutes to impart skills to Baloch youth. These efforts by the government and army will definitely support and facilitate the provincial government. But the void is so large that these efforts are getting diluted and the benefits are trickling down to masses at a very slow pace.

In such a situation we cannot afford to miss the opportunities presented by projects like Gwadar Port. This project will remain relevant till the time alternates aren’t fully operational. Iran is working to link Chabahar free trade area to Iran’s main rail network, which is connected to Central Asia and Afghanistan.

This would provide more capacity for Chabahar to promote faster logistics. With the emplacement of railway facility, Chabahar will be better linked with CARs through Turkmenistan bypassing volatile Afghanistan.

That will also reduce the significance of Gwadar Port. If we want to accrue optimum benefit from operationalising of Gwadar Port, construction of road and rail links in the shortest possible time should be our top priority.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=12003&Cat=13

The race for domination

wITH Iran’s threat to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to economic sanctions by the West, the new ‘great game’ has come into play.

Whereas, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — the crucial energy conduit through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes — could cause a big jolt in global oil markets, it could also engage America, China, Iran, India and Pakistan. Gwadar port in Balochistan is likely to emerge as the key node in this.

The strait is one of the most strategically important chokepoints through which some 14 tankers loaded with 15.5 million barrels of crude pass in one day. The US that maintains a naval presence in the Gulf is currently trying to contain Iran’s influence in the strategically important chokepoint, while Iran is fully prepared to defy the US.

On the other hand, China over the past one decade has been silently struggling to enhance its influence around the Strait of Hormuz by increasing its presence in Pakistan’s prize port at Gwadar in Balochistan. India has a presence in Iran’s Chahbahar port, which is likely to emerge as a tough competitor to the Chinese-built Gwadar port.

Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Rahimi recently warned that even a “single drop of oil cannot flow from the Strait of Hormuz if the US imposes sanctions on Iran’s oil exports”.

Merely a threat from Iran has sent a ripple of anxiety across world financial markets raising investors’ concerns over the possible consequences of a likely confrontation in the Persian Gulf.

The US sanctions could reduce Iran’s oil revenue to deter its nuclear ambitions, but Iran’s retaliatory move is likely to cause confrontation in the Persian Gulf that could lead to disruption of oil flows and a spike in global oil prices. Arguably, the West’s sanctions will hurt Iran, but the latter’s response could inflict a heavy cost on the global economy — including the US and its trading partners.

With tensions between Washington and Tehran simmering, oil market traders are carefully watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz. It is the only sea passage in the Persian Gulf leading to the open ocean for oil export.

Oil tankers have to pass through the territorial waters of Iran under the transit passage provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Controlling and monitoring chokepoints for energy shipments from the Persian Gulf could be the name of the new great game.

At present, China is the biggest investor in Gwadar, which is strategically located at a distance of 624 nautical kilometres to the east of the Strait of Hormuz. China built the port and bore 80 per cent of the initial $248m development costs.

Chinese engineers have completed a feasibility study for the building of a railroad and an oil pipeline to link Kashi in Xinjiang and Gwadar in Balochistan. It will provide China with the shortest possible route to the oil-rich Middle East, replacing the dangerous maritime route through the South China Sea, East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

With the construction of the Kashi-Gwadar railroad and oil pipeline, Gwadar port will handle most of the oil tankers to China.
At present, 60 per cent of China’s imported oil comes from the Middle East and 80 per cent of that is transported to China through the unsafe Straits of Malacca.China also reportedly plans to have a naval presence in Gwadar. The announcement regarding plans of a Chinese naval base from Pakistan’s defence minister came a day after Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani returned from a visit to China in May 2011. Beijing, however, denied such a plan, probably to avoid indulging in any controversy for the time being. A naval base in Gwadar could enable China to monitor naval patrols by the US.

India, which wants to dominate the Indian Ocean, is upset by China’s growing stakes in Gwadar from where the Chinese would not only frustrate India’s domination of regional waterways but also enable China to expand its influence across the region.

The development of the Gwadar port is seen by many as part of China’s strategy of building a ‘string-of-pearls’ presence on the Indian Ocean rim. What sends ripples of anxiety through Washington and New Delhi is the Chinese naval presence near the Strait of Hormuz.

New Delhi feels that the Gwadar port would have serious strategic implications for India. The Indian naval chief in 2008 said that the Gwadar port would empower Pakistan to control strategically important energy sea-lanes on the Persian Gulf.
Geographically, India controls no chokepoint on the subcontinental coast through which international shipping must pass.

India is developing Iran’s Chahbahar port, which is strategically located in southwestern Iran off the Oman Sea. Chahbahar is the closest Iranian port to the Indian Ocean, and provides direct access to Turkmenistan and other Central Asian republics.

The Balochistan government has gone to the country’s apex court to scrap the deal under which Pervez Musharraf’s government gave management and operational control of the deep-sea port to the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) in February 2007 for 40 years.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has issued a stay order against the Gwadar port contract barring the PSA from transferring immovable property of the Gwadar Port Authority to any private party and allowed the government of Balochistan to be a party to the case.

If the port operation deal with PSA is cancelled by the court, China would replace the Singapore to run the port on the country’s southwest coast. After taking control, China would simultaneously become the builder and operator of the Gwadar port located 70km east of the Iranian border.

The writer the author of The Economic Development of Balochistan.

http://www.dawn.com/

Preserving Gwadar beaches

ANYONE desiring warm sun, sparkling sand, balmy breeze and clear blue waters may not find anything better than Gwadar`s golden beaches.

Visitors to this largely unadulterated landscape are awestruck with its pristine beauty and the natural grandeur that surrounds the spectacle of Balochistan`s desert merging with the Arabian Sea`s greenish-blue water.

Even as it is fast emerging as the future hub of communication, linking Central Asia with warm waters, Gwadar bears tremendous potential for tourism, offering opportunities for water sports, swimming, fishing or even plain sea gazing.

As one looks at the potential oftourism for Gwadar`s beaches, there emerges a pressing need for maintaining a clean waterfront which can attract tourists.

Beaches are unspoiled as of now, there are some trash bins installed at some most scenic of the spots but the clutter left by the limited tourists needs to be looked after. Visitors are not aware of how to conduct themselves with restraint and discipline. Commercial ventures pay little attention to the impact of careless disposal of garbage on the ecology of Gwadar.

.

http://www.dawn.com/2012/01/21/preserving-gwadar-beaches.html

GWADAR, “The Future of Pakistan”, is a Balochi term which translated means “Door of Wind”. However, looking into the future, it can be referred to as the “Door of Prosperous Wind”.
Gwadar has geo-strategic significance due to many reasons. It is on the conduit of three most commercially important regions of the world. The oil rich Middle East, Central Asia bestowed with natural resources and South Asia having the potential for growth, for this century. The city’s strategic, warm-water, deep-sea Gwadar Port was completed in 2007.The port is 14 metres (46 feet) deep and handles the largest cargo ships to Pakistan. The city is emerging as a trade hub and a transit for Chinese oil and timber imports and transshipments.

It is my belief that via Gwadar we can take Pakistan to far greater heights, provided we adequately utilize its potential, developing it in a planned way and attract potential Pakistani and foreigner investors. Pakistan has neither a dearth of human resources nor lack of geo-economic, geo-political or, geo-strategic potential. Where, perhaps, we lack is in the realm of will and the sincerity of purpose to actualize our stated goals. Therefore, to achieve our high-priority national aims and objectives, we shall need to evolve a strategy that would essentially entail hiring, harmonizing and fruitfully utilizing the services and expertise of both national and international experts.

Gwadar has enormous potential from various angles and dimensions, whether it is business, trade, manufacturing, storage or any kind of business activity.In comparison to other Gulf ports, especially Dubai, gives more facilities and will handle more cargo and trade because Gwadar is a deep sea port. It is also located at the mouth of the Gulf and is a gateway to both Central Asian Republic(CARs) and Western China. For Dubai, ships have to wait for days for the route clearance and only a few ships can cross at a time. As far as the Iranian Ports are concerned, they will not be able to attract and generate business while the Iranian state remains hostile to major western powers. Moreover, these ports are in creeks and require massive maintenance cost, which from a business point of view, is not so attractive.

The land locked Central Asian States are dependent on Gwadar. Similarly Western China and North Western India shall have a short route to the world market through Gwadar.Presently Transit Trade facilities are provided to Afghanistan from Karachi and the same can be extended to CARs from Gwadar. The location of Gwadar Deep Sea Port is such that the whole world business converges and diverges at this place. In comparison, Dubai lacks all this.The whole region, can take advantage of trans-shipment facility. The transit cargo can easily be undertaken from Gwadar and transported to any part of the world in a short span of time, in comparison to other ports. Imagine a ship carrying 5,000 – 8,000 containers, the enormity of warehousing, transportation and manpower required to handle all this.

Being a deep sea port and with facilities for transportation available, the industry of any kind is feasible, both from raw material as well as finished material point of view. The mineral resources of Central Asia have no shorter route to get transported and to reach world markets, than Gwadar.

Gwadar Port should be termed as an energy port. The gas and oil deposits of CARs will find their new storage destination at Gwadar, because of its natural flow direction. Even Iran can benefit from Gwadar by securing an opening to the world market for gas and oil. The Pacific countries, India and other countries short of energy can easily be supplied Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) from Gwadar.

Gwadar deep port would promote massive economic activity in the region which would not only benefit local people but also cast positive impact on overall economy of the province and the country. Gwadar would help bring Baluchistan’s coastal areas into socio-economic mainstream and serve as a catalyst for fast track development of the province.The establishment of special economic zones, free trade zone, and Export Processing Zone (EPZ) would attract foreign investment creating innumerable job opportunities for local youth which would directly raise the living standard of their families.

Recently the fishery industry is one of the most important economic activities in Gwadar district.About one fourth of the total catch of different varieties in Pakistan is produced in Gwadar.On an annual basis there is potential for an additional catch of at least 70,000 tonnes. Fish processing at Gwadar is providing employment to many of the local educated and uneducated unemployed youth. In case fish farming and shrimp farming are encouraged, it can double the quantity, besides improving the quality.
Gwadar has an immense potential for attracting both domestic and international tourist with a unique landscape. The mud hillock, the God gifted landscape looks as if carved by an artist. The two hammer heads of Gwadar and Ormara are matchless. The turquoise sea water with golden sand beaches facing south, is unparalleled. The beaches can be used throughout the year.

Another sector that has a massive potential is the construction industry. Presently Gwadar has no building or accommodation to accommodate the human influx and store the bulk supplies of any kind. The construction industry has so much potential that one has to start from the making of bricks, till the construction of high rises, for which there is no limit.

watch Geo Ajooba takes you to the beautiful Astola Island located in the province of Balochistan in Pakistan

http://videos.geo.tv/VideoGallery.aspx?ID=2921

Mr. Jasim, its a good news. I wish the projects and plans materialze there in Gwadar soon. So far its all been just announcements.

 

A number of initiatives are under way to further increase the export of fish and fish preparation, including the expansion of the existing laboratory infrastructure to provide testing and certification facilities acceptable to destination markets and financial support to revamp fish jetties at Gaddani, Dam, Pasni and Jewani. There is still need to focus more on different areas such as packaging and marketing of fish and on developing seafood based industries like extraction of fish oil and manufacturing of export quality poultry feed.

Experts believe Pakistan meat and seafood industry could earn up to billion dollars within couple of years through short-term plan and relatively little investments in livestock and fishery sectors.

www.dailytimes.com.pk

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Industries has submitted to Planning Commission for approval the PC-1 for Infrastructure Development Phase-1 of Gwadar Industrial Estate project, costing Rs 1.53 billion.

According to PC-1 of the project available with Business Recorder, under new economic growth framework 2012-13, the development of Gwadar Industrial Estate fits very well with objective to build the new industrial estate in mega port city which provide profitable business opportunities to local as well as international entrepreneurs, to develop manufacturing and service industries with strong emphasis on technology, innovation and capability, to facilitate business collaboration with foreign parties and to develop appropriate job opportunities in the region.

The impact of this industrial estate is extremely high in manufacturing sector, contributing to 7 percent of GDP and generating 25 percent of exports. Total area for the project is 3000 acres, to be developed in three phases, of 1000 acres each. The first phase of 1000 acres has been comprehensively planned and infrastructure development is underway. Gwadar Industrial Estate is linked with all important transport routes and highways, providing significant access to its location.

The major areas of business would be import and export construction, transportation, shipping, clearing and forwarding, warehousing, building material, value added-processing, re-packing, and transshipping, local at the entrance of the Persian Gulf and about 400 km from a major medium of oil supplies.Plots ranging from 1 acre to 5 acres have been planned for various industrial and commercial purposes. Besides, a small workers colony is also included. A comprehensive network of infrastructure services has been planned.

The development of infrastructure is the top priority for successful development and operation of OIE, the most basic requirements being water supply, electrification and sewerage system. The final requirements will, however, be in the range of 100-120 megawatts. In this regard, a grid station had been finalised in consultation with Qesco. Total cost of the grid station, which has since been completed, has been funded by the federal government.

Water being the scarce commodity in Balochistan as a whole and in Gwadar in particular needs the highest priority. The demands for the potable water for the industrial estate is difficult to assess as the demand largely depends on the type of industries to be installed, whereas, chemical and textile industries may have a large water demand.It is proposed to install a sea-water desalination plant for GIE with a capacity of 2million gallons per day (mgd). The cost of the project is to be equally shared between Federal Government and the provincial Government.

As the establishment of the 2 million gallons per day desalination plant will take some time while 0.2 MGD desalination plant is under construction through the project's own sources. The design of remaining internal roads, water supply and sewerage has been prepared and the work will be awarded in phases as per the availability of the funds.

http://www.brecorder.com/

KARACHI  - Pakistan-Azerbaijan Business Forum (PABF) will be established to promote bilateral trade and investment during the forthcoming visit of President Asif Ali Zardari to Azerbaijan which is expected shortly

"Azerbaijan has strict visa regime for countries worldwide however for the citizens of Pakistan and Turkey, our visa policy is open", he added

Azerbaijan, by taking advantage of geo-strategic locations of Pakistan, can export their consignments through Gwadar and other ports of Karachi to SAARC, ASEAN and GCC countries, said KCCI president while exchanging his views.

Mian Abrar noted that economic relations between Central Asian Republics and SAARC countries will be a win-win situation and bring economic revolution in the region. He said KCCI was committed to bridge together the business communities of regional countries with a vision to establish joint chambers.

www.nation.com.pk