F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fuad Ishaq alongwith Secretary Industries, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Pakistan Expo Centre Private Limited Chief Executive Officer Mariam Khawar visited the under-construction Peshawar Expo Centre, situated in Tarnab Peshawar.
During the visit, a detailed briefing was given to SCCI chief Fuad Ishaq and apprised him that structure of Peshawar Expo Centre has been completed while renovation and other construction work on the Expo centre would be completed in next 18 months, with provision of timely funds, said in a press release here on Wednesday.
Fuad Ishaq during the visit told secretary industries government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zulfiqar Ali Shah and Pakistan Expo Centre Chief Executive Officer Mariam Khawar that in his previous presidential tenure, the Expo Centre was approved when former federal minister for commerce Khurram Dastgir visited the chamber house.
Initially, a sum of Rs500 million has been sanctioned out of the total estimated cost of Rs2.5 billion, in which over Rs2.4 billion has so far been spent, the SCCI chief elaborated. He, however, said owing to increasing cost of construction materials, an additional Rs4billion is required to complete this important project for which financial assistance would be needed through the Export Development Fund.
The SCCI president expressed satisfaction over the designing and structure of Peshawar Expo Centre, which was built at 200-kanals. He, however, voiced concern over delay in timely completion of the project. Fuad Ishaq urged the federal minister for commerce Dr Gohar Ejaz to ensure the required Rs4billion for Peshawar Expo Centre in the next meeting of the Export Development Fund. It will not only provide facility to local industries to display their products at the Peshawar Expo centre but also export would be boosted from the province, he added.
The SCCI chief hoped the Peshawar Expo Centre will provide facility to the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for promotion of export. Fuad Ishaq said that former federal minister for commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan and the ex-federal secretary commerce Muhammad Shehzad Arbab had provided assistance in establishment of Peshawar Expo Centre, for which the SCCI and business community of the KP is highly thankful.
