The News reported that Pakistan’s Engineering Development Board is preparing National Steel Policy aimed at promoting mining industry in the country to produce steel for meeting country’s demand through local production and it will be announced shortly.
According to a senior official of the EDB, the government wants to develop an efficient and modern steel industry in the country to achieve indigenous steel production of 15 million tonnes by the year 2020.
The government will provide incentives for the steel industry in the proposed National Steel Policy for promoting steel industry in the country by giving incentives to investors in this sector as well as in the allotment of lease of ore deposits areas besides others facilities by removing unnecessary procedural difficulties, he said.
According to the official, a high level meeting about the promotion of steel industry in the country was held recently and attended by Secretary Mines Department Punjab, Director General Mines NWFP and senior officials of the mines department of Balochistan besides officials of the Engineering Development Board. Chief Executive of the EDB, Asad Elahi presided over the meeting.
According to the study conducted by the Geological Survey of Pakistan, iron ore deposits located at Kalabagh, Chiniot, Dilband and Nokundi are mine-able and blend-able. Regarding industrial and mining promotion in the areas which have deposits of iron ore, the official said that Pakistan Steel Mills had already finalized a plan to increase the share of local iron ore in the blend by around 20% which could be supplied by easily from these deposits.