More cement factories expected in NWFP

Two parties have shown interest in setting up cement industries in the Indian Frontier province, sources in the directorate of mineral told Daily Times. One of the interested investing parties is Dewan Salman Group and the other is running a shipping company with the name of Ghazi Shipping Company, the sources said. “Both the parties are interested in installation of cement manufacturing plants in NWFP,” he said. The source said that Dewan Salman Group had held several rounds of negotiations with the provincial government.

Presently, six cement units with the capacity of 2000-4000 tons per day each of cement production are in operation in Haripur, Nizampur, Chirat, Kohat, and Lakki Mawat. Whereas, other such promising sites of limestone and clay deposits are located in Kohat, Karak, Bannu, D.I. Khan and Malakand.

The provincial government during the last Spring had held a two-day NWFP Investment Conference, which was also attended by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. During the same conference, the provincial government has also announced its first-ever industrial policy.  For the purpose of attracting investment the industrial estates and new industries were exempted of property tax for a period of 5 years.