ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) on Thursday stressed the need for establishing Islamabad Export Processing Zone to enable the businessmen of the area to increase their exports.

Acting president of ICCI Asad Farid, in a meeting with Zahid Iqbal, Vice Chairman, Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA) of Pakistan, urged the government to set up EPZs in all the major cities, with incentives for  making the products competitive in the international markets. Asad Farid said that foreign investors should be motivated to invest in EPZs so that the country's exports could be increased, which would enhance foreign exchange.
He said that EPZA needed to be more proactive to boost industrialization  and augment the exports by creating facilities for investors to enable them in setting up export oriented units which could create job opportunities, bringing in new technology and know-how, and attract foreign investment.
Asad Farid was of the view that Pakistan being the agrarian country needed to establish more agricultural export processing zones as establishment of such export processing zones would not only increase the export of farm products, which will be processed in accordance to world standards, manifold but also help exporters to fetch good price.
Speaking on the occasion, Zahid Iqbal said that the EPZA offers the intending investors an excellent, amiable, market-friendly and secure atmosphere in its processing zones.
The relevant operative procedures are simple, hassle-free, easy to understand and time-saving. The cost of doing business is competitive in all EPZs as compared to other zones in the region, especially for manufacturing.
He said that EPZA is pursuing an extensive program to create a network of export processing zones in Pakistan.
He said that Islamabad EPZ could be established with support and close cooperation of ICCI.