Pakistan plans four special economic zones with access to US market

Pakistan plans to set up four special economic zones on the pattern of Jordan and Egypt having facility of product access to the US market at concessional duty rate, a senior official has disclosed.
"There will be one-stop shops in such zones. The products of special industrial zones in Egypt and Jordan are exported to the American market at special duty, which is less by 30 per cent than the duty structure for other countries," said Planning Commission Secretary Sohail Safdar after returning from weeklong visit to Egypt and Jordan.
He was member of a delegation that visited the two countries with Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Ahmed as its head. The other members of the delegation included Secretary Industries Shahab Khwaja, Head of Competitive Support Fund Arthur Bayan, USAID Director Economic Growth Amy Mayer, President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Muhammad Asaf, President of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mian Muhammad, women industrialists Ms Ghazala from Karachi and Ms Lubna Farooq from Peshawar and other prominent businessmen.
The delegation held meetings with heads of investment chambers and special economic zones of Egypt and Jordan as well as other prominent figures of the two countries.
"The special economic zones will have facilities for payment of income tax and settlement of the issues related to immigration, provision of gas, water and electricity connections and addressing other municipal matters under one roof," the Planning Commission secretary said. "Investors will get no-objection certificates related to all these issues one to two weeks," he added.
Sohail Safdar said that Jordan has no oil wealth but has taken off economically because the US allowed import of products from the special industrial zones of Jordan and Egypt at 30 per cent less duty after they inked peace accord with Israel.