LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet has given approval for the establishment of five cement plants in the province.
Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said that the provincial cabinet has given approval for an investment of Rs200 billion in these cement plants.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar had also posted about the development on his official Twitter handle.
He said there were only twelve cement plants in the province till recently but the Cabinet, with persistent efforts of his team, approved no-objection certificates (NOCs) for five more plants.
“These new plants will bring a collective investment of Rs150 billion to Rs200 billion to the province in addition to creating employment opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people,” the CM said.
پنجاب میں آج تک سیمنٹ کے صرف 12 پلانٹس تھے.. الحمدللہ ہماری ٹیم کی مسلسل کاوشوں سے آج پنجاب کابینہ نے مزید 5 پلانٹس کو NOCs جاری کرنے کی منظوری دےدی ہے
ان نئےسیمنٹ پلانٹس سےصوبے میں تقریباً 150 سے 200 ارب تک کی سرمایہ کاری ہو گی اور لاکھوں افراد کےلیے روزگار کےمواقع پیدا ہوں گے
— Usman Buzdar (@UsmanAKBuzdar) December 8, 2020
On December 4, Punjab Minister for Industry and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal had said that the provincial government has provided a one-window facility to investors and expedited the process of issuance of NOCs for setting up new cement plants in the province which would result in investments worth billions of rupees.
He was talking to a delegation of Bestway Cement Group led by brigadier (r) Syed Kausar Hussain.
He said that relevant departments are bound to issue NOCs within the timeline, adding that NOC winning companies will also be made bound to set up the plant within six months.
The minister also congratulated cement companies on recent investments. “We welcome the investment of Bestway Cement Group in the cement sector in Attock, Khushab and Mianwali and will provide all possible support to the group,” he said.
The cement group discussed setting up new cement plants in Attock, Mianwali and Khushab. The head of the delegation said that the group has applied for setting up new cement plants in Attock, Mianwali and Khushab and is awaiting issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC).
“As soon as our group gets NOC, it will make new investments of billions of rupees in the cement industry,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that the government also approved an assistant package of Rs100 million for various districts of the province affected by the floods and locust attack during the cabinet meeting.
