ISLAMABAD- A meeting of Sub–Committee of the Sen- ate Standing Committee on Industries and Production was held under the convener- ship of Senator Fida Muhammad to exam- ine the problems faced by the export pro- cessing zone of Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa. A brief was presented on Risalpur Ex- port Processing Zone (REPZ)/Joint Ven- ture project between EPZA and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Develop- ment and Management Company (KPEZ- DMC)/(Former SDA). The committee was informed of the physical progress of the zone. It was informed that 92 acres of area is REPZ with total 137 number of plots and 42 no of units stands sanctioned (08 functional and 34 nonfunctional). The committee was also apprised that the to- tal cumulative exports from REPZ since inception are $26.366m and contributed $0.264m to the national exchequer on ac- count of 1pc presumptive tax on exports. While discussing the problems faced in colonization of Risalpur EPZ, the committee was informed that FBR has convened two meetings to resolve the issue of restriction on export of trading goods to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republic (CARs) via land route but till to date this facility has not been allowed for investors of EPZs. In the 2nd meet- ing, it was decided that MOI&P will take up the issue with Ministry of Commerce he further informed. Other problems in- cluded non-availability of uninterrupted power supply. The matter of uninter- rupted power supply has been taken up with PESCO, but the matter remains un- resolved, at their end. Dilapidated infra- structure of Risalpur EPZ is also one of problems faced. The issue has taken up several times with the management of KPEZDMC but still remains unresolved. The chairman EPZA was of the view that despite issues of trading even manu- facturing is not being initiated in the zone as per the potential in the area. Issues of manufacturing and trading via land route should be resolved and issue of supply of electricity to at least up to 5 megawatts be granted to meet the need of making units operational and productive, the chairman EPZA further suggested. The meeting was deferred with the directions to call repre- sentatives from the FBR, Ministry of Com- merce, PESCO and KPEZDMC along with all the stakeholders in the next meeting to resolve the issues faced by the export pro- cessing zone of Khyber