20000208

SAI chairman's

plea to CE

RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Abdullah Rafi, Chairman, Site Association of Industry (SAI) has urged Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf to direct the Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Industries to make a feasibility for allowing the unutilised agricultural land for establishing agro-based industrial units on the outskirts of Karachi.

To encourage agro-based industries, he suggested that the government allow processing and storage facilities for agro-based products on the land already leased for 30 years on the outskirts of Karachi (Landhi, Malir, Bund Murad etc.) for agriculture purpose, because land in the existing industrial areas was very expensive. These lands could be used on the same terms and conditions of 30 years lease by agro processors for establishing rice, fish, fruits, vegetables, flowers processing and packaging units for export.

He proposed that the government should do the same thing in other parts of the country utilizing agricultural lands for establishing agro processors so that it could be developed to boost agricultural production as well as exports.