Govt eyes over 138,000 jobs from Port Qasim garment city project

The government is to establish a 400-acre apparel zone at Port Qasim, eyeing over 138,000 jobs and annual exports of nearly $2.2bn in the first phase, according to project projections. Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry chaired a meeting on the proposed garment city project, where he said the export-oriented manufacturing cluster would focus on high-value apparel production and draw private investment, according to a press release issued. Per the project plan, the first phase would span 250 acres, with 35% earmarked for internal roads, utilities and green areas. The scheme is envisaged as a public-private partnership. The proposed commercial layout comprises 32 industrial plots of five acres each, though plot size could be trimmed to two or three acres to accommodate more investors and manufacturing units.