Pak: Japan starts work on IT centre

Karachi: The Japan government has started constructing IT Centre at an estimated cost of 50 million dollar at Superhighway.

Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Rauf Siddiqui stated this at the opening ceremony of 4th International Exhibition of Automobile 2008 organised jointly by Auto And Auto Parts Pakistan (AAPP) and Machine Tools and Automation Industry Pakistan (MTAP), at Expo Centre. The provincial minister said the Japan backed IT Centre would create over 2,000 jobs for the country's talented and jobless youth.

Siddiqui said Islamabad would offer land to those big and small investors, who tend to invest in the business, industrial and manufacturing sectors, at a nominal cost on ten-year payback time. 'To strengthen our economy we will first have to restore the confidence of local and international investors, added the minister.

Rauf said the metropolis had a wide array of opportunities in industrial, financial and commercial sectors with an encouraging attitude of the government to local and international investors. Inviting the local and international investment, the provincial minister said, during the past five years the city had witnessed an unprecedented infrastructure development that had further strengthened its business-oriented image and an investor-friendly environment.

Praising organisers of the exhibition for successfully launching the 53rd international event, he said such public displays would pave the way for boosting up the country's economy. The minister later visited all stalls of both AAPP and MTAP and talked to the different manufacturers and specialists regarding their productions and items displayed over there.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Aasim Siddiqui, chairman and managing director, Pegasus Consultancy (PC), said that 'we are proud to organise the 4th International Exhibition of AAPP-2008being held in conjunction with MTAP, both of which want to explore the region's immense potential for investments in the auto and machine tools sector.

These kinds of exhibiting automobiles, spare parts metal-cutting machines, tooling, factory automation and machining parts, would promote the business networks and technical collaboration between Pakistan and the rest of the world, he added. Aasim said that the three-day exhibition would remain open to public till November 6, 2008.