Free Zone Gwadar to bolster Pakistan-Central Asia connectivity and lift up regional development
Beginning of the current week witnessed the milestone event in replenishment of the Asian connectivity and trade infrastructure, having direct positive influence for Central Asia.
Free Zone of Gwadar will boost regional development and will link Pakistan with Central Asia, said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi of Pakistan at the recent ceremony of inauguration of the first phase of FEZ of Gwadar port, in southwestern part of the country.
Occupying over 60 acres, Gwadar FEZ, one of the links of wider China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, will be operated by China Overseas Port Holding Company, which has also established a Business Centre for handling of operations. It will provide a one-window servicing for matters including immigration, customs, visa and port clearance.
The South Area of the zone (Phase I) will develop a commercial logistics zone, undertaking such functions as commodity exhibition, transit and distribution, relying on the existing port,
as well as fishery processing.
The next construction phases will cover the North Area, where processing and manufacturing cluster will be developed. Daily necessities and small household appliances, fishery, stone processing, machinery manufacturing and metal processing are the main introduced industries.
The tax exemption regime will be adopted for the FEZ.
About 20 companies of different business profile such as hotel, bank, logistics and fish processing have pledged to invest into Gwadar FEZ nearly USD one billion.
Pakistani experts on Central Asia believe this is a great step forward for the landlocked Central Asia as it affords three different routes for access to the India Ocean - Khorgos (border Kazakhstan-China) –Khunjarab (border Pakistan-China) - Gawadar; Serhetabad (Turkmenistan) – Termez (Uzbekistan) –Chaman – Gawadar (Pakistan); and Sarakhs (Turkmenistan) – Chabahar - Gawadar route.
The first two routes are available already while the third will need the construction of a connection of about 90-km from Chabahar to Gawadar.
With trade and transit corridors taking shape in all directions, this is another great opportunity for Central Asia to reach the world markets through a short route.
It takes less than a 24 hours to reach from Serhetabad, the most southern point of Turkmenistan, to Gwadar by available motor ways.
