Pakistan government is working out all measures to take complete advantage of the GSP plus status given to them by European countries. One of measures taken is setting up industrial parks. The Pakistan government to promote country’s exports has planned to set up two Industrial Parks in Karachi and Lahore for textile and engineering equipments. Korangi Creek Industrial Park is being set up in Karachi while Rachna Industrial Park will be established at Sheikhupura Road, Lahore by National Industrial Parks Development and Management Company (NIPDMC).

The NIPDMC official sources on Sunday said that in addition, the government of Punjab has initiated another project close to Lahore called Punjab Garment City Industrial Estate which would provide an opportunity to garment industries for taking advantages of the GSP+ facilities.

Korangi Creek Park, the garments and value added textiles clusters in Low Density Zone (LDZ) is consisted of around 19 acres which is 18 per cent of the total saleable area of 103 acres.

This cluster has been successfully sold to industrialists who would be setting up manufacturing units in the weaving, garments and home textile sectors etc.

Light engineering cluster consists of around 26 acres of the total saleable area of 103 acres in the LDZ. This cluster has been successfully sold to auto vendor, lighting equipments, steel fabrication, collapsible tubes and plastic items etc manufacturers.

The sources said that the Rachna Industrial Park on Lahore Sheikhupura Road is being set-up in area of over 174 acres to accommodate small and medium scale industries, spread in and around Lahore and adjoining cities of Sheikhupura District for the Light Engineering, Auto parts Industries, Textile and other sectors. It will be first of its kind, focusing on Light Engineering, Auto Vending Industries in the area because there are around 500 Auto Vendors spread in and around Lahore and adjoining cities like Gujranwala, Sialkot, Wazirabad and Sheikhupura.

The manufacturers like Honda Atlas, Millat Tractor, Rustam Sohrab Cycle and vendors associated with them are also based on Lahore-Sheikhupura Road.

It will provide an excellent platform for systematic and orderly industrial growth. Development work at Rachna Industrial Park and its Access Road is in progress and a good interest has been shown by Light Engineering, Auto Parts, Textile and other industries to buy a plot in Rachna Industrial Park to set up units there.

With regard to Garment City, the federal government will be giving this industrial estate the status of special economic zone.