LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday met a delegation of the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF), which 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, to be developed through a collaboration between the OPF and the Green Energy Group.
The chief minister welcomed the proposal and directed the authorities to prepare a comprehensive action plan for its implementation. She also 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 was expected to generate more than 18,000 skilled employment opportunities and produce annual revenues exceeding Rs5.6 billion.
The project will feature integrated clean energy infrastructure, including 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 could contribute up to 1.5 percent to the country’s GDP while significantly strengthening the regional economy. The modern clean energy infrastructure was also expected to substantially reduce carbon emissions and support the achievement of net-zero climate targets.
On the occasion, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif 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 a comprehensive one-window operation was in place to ensure the prompt issuance of all required No Objection Certificates (NOCs).
The CM 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. –Agencies
