I heard Shaukat Aziz on TV saying that hotels and other lodges in Gawadar are full of investors flocking to the area. So it appears that Gawadar has become a big success even before its formal inaugration. I hope they plan this city well with wide roads and proper residential area, and enforce laws like CDA in Islamabad. In short, keep it nice and clean, unlike Karachi. Can't wait for the day they unveil this great city of the future!
Daily Dawn Reports: 12/04/2003
Gwadar housing plans dropped !!
KARACHI, Dec 3: In a surprise move, the Balochistan government has scrapped all its housing projects, including the prestigious Sangar Housing Project, in Gwadar district by cancelling the allotment of all the plots granted to general public, defence personnel and other federal agencies.
No reason was given in the official notification. The notification dated Nov 19 received here and issued by the provincial local government says: "The Government of Balochistan is pleased to cancel all the allotment of plots, including Defence and Federal agencies with immediate effect."
It further says that the district coordination officer, Gwadar, and project director, Sangar Housing Scheme, Gwadar, "shall resume possession of all such plots by vacating the same, in case physical possession thereof to the ex-allottees".
According to observers, the abrupt decision will beyond any doubt affect the investment climate in the Gwadar district where the federal government is seriously engaged in the construction of a deep-sea port and a coastal highway.
Most of the observers relate the decision to the unwise decision of the former Nawaz government when it seized foreign exchange accounts without considering the adverse economic implications of the decision.
They termed the decision a big blunder as it will restrict the plans for developing Gwadar into a modern port city and prove a stinging blow to the development activity in the province.
Many believe that anti-Gwadar forces have now finally succeeded to penetrate into major decision-making setup at the top level, to the detriment of Gwadar's future.
The decision has already created a great resentment among the locals who are the major stakeholders as majority of plots were allotted to them and those who have sold their plots to investors from other cities of Pakistan and now have nothing to return.
Some of the observers are of the view that the government will have to compensate the plot-holders at last market value which will run well beyond Rs20 billion.
The Sangar Housing Project was developed at Koh-i-Batil to provide an opportunity to the locals of Gwadar and other parts of Balochistan by providing them residential and commercial plots at reasonable prices for ultimately obtaining benefits from the anticipated economic growth of Gwadar city.
Initially, there were more than 3,500 individuals having stake in Sangar Housing Project but many of them have already sold their plots at various prices to the people from all over the country, thus, increasing manifold the strength of the stakeholders.
Most of the plots, after initial allotment, have been sold at a very high price, i.e., Rs3 million for a 1,000 sq yards residential plot and Rs5 million for a 1,000 sq yards commercial plots.
The plots after sale and resale are now owned not merely by the locals of the Gwadar and people of other parts of Balochistan, but also by those from all over Pakistan and abroad.
The stockholders include private individuals, businessmen, investors, government officials, armed forces personnel and politicians.
http://www.dawn.com/2003/text/top11.htm
Daily Jang Reports: 06/18/2004
Rs 7bn for Gwadar port development:
KARACHI: A record amount of Rs7.215 billion has been earmarked for the speedy development of the Gwadar port in the current financial year.
Sources at the Ministry of Communications said that the policy-makers of the country have agreed to install state-of-the-art Gantry Cranes (GC) at the Gwadar Port.
Shipping experts are of the view that without deepening the proposed channel and the installation of the Gantry Cranes, the Gwadar port would turn into a mere junkyard for the shipping industry.
Without installation of the Gantry Cranes, large ships would not prefer to call at the port.
Under the Pak-China agreement, the government’s share would be Rs5,215 million and this record amount has been well protected in the federal budget.
For the on-going project of Gwadar Fish Harbour, an amount of Rs12 million has been provided in the federal project.
So far, a record amount of Rs16.297 billion has been spent on this project but due to the non-promulgation of the requisite laws and regulations the harbour could not come up to the expectations of the policy-makers.
Shipping experts, particularly the Pakistani shipping community, are eagerly awaiting the issuance of rules and regulations for the commercial start of the Gwadar port.
Experts have suggested that the Customs authorities must come up with the earliest establishment of Gwadar Customs House and required notifications so that the shipping community could plan their investments in the area.
According to sources, a separate amount of Rs1 billion has been earmarked for the construction of the export zone and the industrial city.
http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/jun20...usiness/b3.htm
Plz pray,
sardarzada