Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday met a delegation of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF). The delegation presented a proposal for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Green Economic Zone in Punjab.
OPF Chairman Syed Qamar Raza briefed the chief minister on the proposed Green Industrial Economic Zone. He forwarded the idea to develop it through a collaboration between the OPF and the Green Energy Group.
The chief minister welcomed the proposal. She directed the authorities to prepare a comprehensive action plan for its implementation. Maryam announced a special incentives package for both local and foreign investors to encourage investment in the project.
According to the briefing, the proposed Green Industrial Zone will generate more than 18,000 skilled employment opportunities. It will produce annual revenues exceeding Rs5.6 billion.
The project will feature integrated clean energy infrastructure. It will have solar, wind, hydro, ground-source energy, battery storage. And Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) backup systems.
Officials said the export of environmentally friendly products from the zone will contribute up to 1.5 percent to the country’s GDP. It will significantly strengthen the regional economy. The modern clean energy infrastructure will substantially reduce carbon emissions and support the achievement of net-zero climate targets.
Maryam Nawaz said Punjab welcomed every investor and was fully prepared for all forms of investment. She said the provincial government had introduced a “Zero Time to Start” policy to facilitate the establishment of new businesses and industries. She added that her government had placed a comprehensive one-window operation to ensure the prompt issuance of all required No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The chief minister said Punjab was providing a secure, peaceful and business-friendly environment free from unnecessary administrative and bureaucratic hurdles. “Our commitment is to transform Punjab into a global hub of modern green industry and commercial activity,” she added.
