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Construction industry vital for
economic growth and
infrastructure development:
Prime Minister
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza
Gilani has said that the
construction industry is very
important for country’s economic
growth, infrastructure
development as well as
employment generation. The
government, he said, would take
steps for solving its problems
and ensuring its growth and
progress.
The Prime Minister said this
while talking to a delegation of
All Pakistan Contractors
Association (APCA), led by Engr.
Shahid Rafiq, Chairman, All
Pakistan Contractors Association
(APCA) who called on him at the
PM’s Secretariat this evening.
The Prime Minister asked all the
concerned ministries to adopt a
concerted approach in
consultation with the
representatives of APCA for
removing the difficulties, which
the construction industry is
facing.
The Prime Minister asked the
construction industry to train
manpower not only for meeting
the country’s domestic
requirements but also the needs
of the foreign markets. He asked
the representatives of APCA to
keep liaison with government
bodies like TEVTA and NAVTEC in
this regard.
The representatives of the
construction industry assured
the Prime Minister that despite
operational difficulties they
would gear up efforts so that
the government’s vision of
ensuring housing for all can be
achieved.
The Prime Minister was apprised
that the construction sector
provides direct employment to
unskilled labour who are trained
in various disciplines. He was
further informed that 29 local
technology based industries are
directly related to the
construction business.
APCA delegation also briefed the
Prime Minister about the
potential in the construction
sector with regards to improving
national economy, infrastructure
development and employment
generation in addition to
meeting the housing needs of the
people.
The Prime Minister was further
informed that the construction
sector of the country is almost
entirely working within the
country and if it gets organized
the sector has the potential of
exporting its labour as well as
consultancy services which can
help the country earn foreign
exchange worth billions of
dollars.
Deputy Chairman Planning
Commission, Chairman FBR,
Secretary Communication,
Secretary Industries &
Production, Secretary Housing,
Engr. Shahid Rafiq, Chairman,
All Pakistan Contractors
Association (APCA), Muhammad
Ayub Sheikh, Vice Chairman APCA
(Punjab), Engr. Kamal Nasir
Khan, Vice Chairman APCA (Balochistan)
Engr. Abdul Karim Khadim, Vice
Chairman APCA (Balochistan) Engr.
Arshad Dad, Management Committee
Member APCA and Engr. Syed
Ashfaq Hussain, Management
Committee Member APCA also
attended the meeting.
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Government committed to
providing shelter to every
citizen:
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza
Gilani
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed
Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that
the government is committed to
providing shelter and other
basic facilities of life to
every citizen of the country,
particularly the poorest of the
poor. For this purpose, a
meeting of the Steering
Committee on Housing Development
was held under the chairmanship
of Prime Minister at the Prime
Minister’s Secretariat on
Monday.
The Steering Committee was
constituted by the Prime
Minister to figure out the
modalities for realizing the
programme of constructing one
million housing units for the
low income group. He had made
this announcement on the floor
of the National Assembly on
March 29.
The meeting was attended by the
Chief Ministers of Punjab, Sindh
and NWFP who were highly
appreciative and expressed
complete satisfaction over this
housing programme.
They informed the meeting that
their respective provinces would
extend all out support to the
federal government in realizing
this programme as it targets the
poor segment of the society.
The Ministry of Housing was
given a task to strategize the
vision of the Prime Minister to
provide affordable housing to
middle class and lower middle
class through mortgage financing
or easy installment financial
plans and to provide housing to
the government employees on or
before retirement.
After detailed deliberations on
various proposals, the Prime
Minister constituted a committee
to look into the details of such
proposals and come up with final
recommendations within one
month.
The Committee comprises Federal
Ministers for Finance and
Housing, Deputy Chairman
Planning Commission; Special
Assistant to Prime Minister on
Social Sector; Governor State
Bank; Secretary Housing;
Secretary Finance; Chairman FBR;
Chief Secretaries including Azad
Jammu and Kashmir, Engr. Shahid
Rafiq, Chairman,
All Pakistan Contractors
Association (APCA) and Muhammad
Ayub Sheikh, Vice Chairman, All
Pakistan Contractors Association
(APCA).
The meeting also decided for
setting up provincial steering
committees on the pattern of
Prime Minister’s Housing
Steering Committee for better
coordination with the federal
government.
Decision was also made for the
establishment of Land Banking
for Prime Minister’s housing
programme, besides
computerization of Land
registration system and
reviewing zoning regulations.
Earlier, Minister Housing in his
presentation highlighted the
salient features of the housing
development programme.
He informed the meeting about
the operational strategy which
includes the creation of Land
Bank, establishment of a
management company or a housing
authority, high rise apartments
and row houses in major cities
through pilot projects or joint
ventures, construction of
incremental housing facilities
in the semi-urban and rural
areas for the poorest of the
poor.
He briefed the meeting that the
strategy in the pipeline would
also focus on row houses and
open plot development in urban
centers, intermediate towns and
rural areas, redevelopment of
prime urban land where public
buildings are either dilapidated
or slums have been created,
reforming legal frame work
affecting foreclosure, transfer,
tenancy, rent control and
acquisition of immovable
property, strengthening of local
construction industry and
attracting foreign investment.
The meeting was attended by the
Minister for Finance, Naveed
Qamar; Minister for Housing,
Rehamtullah Kakar; Minister for
Local Government and Rural
Development, Haji Ghulam Ahmad
Bilour; Deputy Chairman Planning
Commission; Special Assistance
to Prime Minister on Social
Sector; Governor State Bank;
Federal Secretaries, other
senior officials, Engr. Shahid
Rafiq, Chairman, All Pakistan
Contractors Association (APCA)
and Muhammad Ayub Sheikh, Vice
Chairman (Punjab), All Pakistan
Contractors Association (APCA).
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