Staff Reporter

PESHAWAR: A mission from World Bank Group and International Finance Corporation visited Peshawar onFriday. The mission was comprised of Mr. Douglas Zhihua Zeng Senior Economist, Ms. Kiran Afzal Senior Private Sector Specialist and

Mr. Charles Schneider Senior Private Sector Specialist.

The team called on the Additional Chief Secretary to deliberate on ongoing projects of GOKP with the support of WBG and IFC. CEO KP-BOIT also attended the meeting. Areas of cooperation were discussed during the meeting including mines & minerals processing zones in Newly Merged Districts, healthcare, I. T and Tourism. The Additional Chief Secretary requested World Bank and IFC team for cooperating in these areas.

The meeting was followed by a workshop session by the World Bank at the KP-Board of Investment & Trade office on Special Economic Zones and Small Industrial Estates. At the start of the workshop session, CEO KP-BOIT, Dr. Hassan Daud Butt gave a brief presentation about KP, KPBOIT and its Role, the policy frameworks for industrialization in KP, and Investment opportunities in Key sectors in KP. The world bank delegation was also briefed about economic zones in KP with a special focus on Rahakai SEZ. The presentation was followed by a workshop session byMr. Douglas.

The session focused on the global experiences of the countries with SEZs and SIEs and associated policy and regulatory frameworks including investors incentives, especially focusing on China. Moreover, topics like best practices for tax rebates and other incentives that can be offered by the public sector to SEZs & SIEs, and how to create congenial market conditions for developing the SEZs & SIEs were also discussed during the session.

The workshop was attended by a large number of stakeholders from the public and private sectors.

The World Bank thanked CEO KP-BOIT for organizing the session and ensured that more such sessions will continue in the future as well focusing on other areas especially Integrated Tourism Zones.