QUETTA: President of the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) He Xuping said here on Tuesday that the company was working on expanding Saindak copper-cum-gold and Dhodar lead-zinc projects, adding that the expansion would pave for foreign investment in metal mining in Balochistan.

He said this during a meeting with Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani. MCC Vice President Ma Weiqing was also present.

He Xuping said that the MCC was fulfilling its responsibilities under the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility by improving local economy and investing in the social sector. “The MCC is providing maximum jobs to local people in both the projects and efforts are underway to induct more local people into the Saindak and Dhodar mining projects,” He Xuping said.

The chief minister told He Xuping that his government would soon announce a new mineral policy to develop the mineral sector and increase provincial revenues.

He said that the government would take concrete steps for providing better infrastructure in the mining sector and local and foreign investors would be offered incentives to invest in the sector.

“The Balochistan government will launch projects in the mining sector with the MCC and other companies on the basis of public-private partnership,” CM Alyani said.

The head of the Chinese company lauded the chief minister’s vision and the provincial government’s efforts for development of the mining sector.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2019