Parliamentary Secretary for Planning, Development and Reform Ms. Kanwal Shauzab here on Thursday said that Special Economic Zones will help the country in generating employment, reducing poverty and enhancing exports. 

Government is focusing on promoting higher education, science & technology and R&D activities. It is concentrating on strengthening mutual exchanges and cooperation in transfer of technology. she said this while addressing the conference on “CPEC Career Summit 2018”, at Air University, Islamabad on Thursday.

The Parliamentary Secretary stated that CPEC epitomises the growing mutuality of interest and the vision of a shared economic future for Pakistan and China. She added that CPEC will advance economic connectivity and regional cooperation which will have far reaching positive implications for the prosperity of the two countries. 

The implementation of CPEC will lead to job creation, industrialisation and socio economic uplift. Ms. Kanwal Shauzab noted that in the recent PM’s visit to China, 15 MoUs / Agreements were signed between the two countries in various sectors. She observed that now the focus would be shifted towards industrial development, enhancing agricultural productivity, poverty alleviation, social sector development etc. 

Ms. Kanwal Shauzab also highlighted that both Pakistan and China are exploring new avenues to strengthen cooperation in vocational and technical education alongside routes of CPEC to provide technical trainings to the locals which would provide human resource support for the upcoming CPEC projects.  

On the occasion, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Mr. Yao Jing said that CPEC is a unique project that demonstrates traditional friendship and strategic partnership between Pakistan and China. He said CPEC is a development driven initiative adding that since the inception of CPEC framework, 22 projects under its umbrella are being implemented out of which some have already been completed. He mentioned that for the next stage of CPEC, more focus would be paid on people driven programs and community based initiatives. 

On the occasion, Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak said that focus should be paid on innovation and modern technology to compete in the global markets.