_akhbar.jpg)
KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), in collaboration with the Balochistan government, on Thursday urged policymakers to accelerate investment-led development in the province, saying Balochistan has the potential to become one of the country’s leading investment destinations.
Addressing a joint press conference at the Federation House, FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said Balochistan must transition from a resource-based economy to a centre for value addition, industrial processing and exports. He stressed that the people of Balochistan should be the primary beneficiaries of the prosperity generated from the province’s natural resources.
Sheikh said the business community is seeking practical, results-oriented investment projects that can create jobs and support sustainable economic growth. He proposed closer cooperation between the FPCCI and the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT) to develop bankable investment projects across key sectors.
FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon said Balochistan accounts for 44 per cent of Pakistan’s land area and, given its strategic location, has the potential to emerge as a major regional trade and investment hub.
BBoIT Vice Chairman Bilal Khan Kakar said the development of Balochistan will contribute significantly to the country’s overall economic progress. He revealed that another foreign direct investment project from the US, comparable in scale to the Reko Diq project, is expected to be launched in the province.
Kakar also announced that the Balochistan Bank will be inaugurated within a month, describing it as an important step towards strengthening the province’s financial infrastructure.
According to the FPCCI, around 50 mineral resources have been identified in Balochistan, of which 39 are being commercially extracted. The business body urged the government to discourage the export of raw minerals and instead promote local refining, processing and value addition to maximise economic returns.
It also called for the establishment of mineral processing zones and modern laboratories in key mining districts, including Chagai, Khuzdar, Lasbela and Muslim Bagh, to support downstream industries.
FPCCI Policy Advisory Board Chairman Dr Mian Zahid Hussain said Balochistan’s 770-kilometre coastline is one of Pakistan’s most valuable assets for developing the blue economy. He recommended establishing world-class fish processing plants and cold-chain facilities at Gwadar, Pasni and Ormara to boost seafood exports.
The FPCCI welcomed the Balochistan government’s establishment of the Mineral Investment Facilitation Authority and its efforts to digitalise the mineral sector. It also called for empowering the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade as a fully digital one-window investment facilitation centre.
The business body emphasised that improving electricity supply, water infrastructure, roads, internet connectivity and security would be essential to attracting domestic and foreign investment and unlocking Balochistan’s economic potential.
