By Sarah NEGEDU
The Federal Capital Territory Administration has hinted plans to grant tax waivers to developers of the Abuja Industrial Park, in order to fastrack the development of the park.
This is as the FCT Administration also expressed its readiness to provide the infrastructure needed for the development of the Abuja Industrial Park, located at the Idu Industrial Zone.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who described the venture as mind-burgling due to its tremendous benefits to the city, said the park, when completed, will not only boost the industrial landscape of the territory, but also contribute to growing the economy, as it will create an additional 40,000 direct jobs for residents.
Speaking to journalists after a visit to the site yesterday, the minister disclosed that the government will be granting the developer, Zeberced Group, tax waiver to enable them fast track work on the site given to them 12 years ago.
He said: “We gave out this land to them 12 years ago. We are constructing that road. Without that road, this industrial park cannot take place. So, government is providing the infrastructure that we need for the development of this industrial park.
“So many companies will have opportunity to come in here because now there is a free zone for them, and will have regular electricity, which is what keeps manufacturers going.
“There is no government that will not support this kind of investment, and having gone round, we can attest to the fact that this is what we really need to grow our economy.
“There is a single carriage way being done by Salini, and in order to complement the efforts of what the government is doing, the company offered to also carry out the construction of the other single carriage to make it dual carriageway.
“We will not hesitate to make that approval which has been made for finalizing the cost, I have directed the Executive Secretary, Federal Capital Development Authority to make sure that everything is put in place to fastrack the approval coming out from the Federal Ministry of Finance, so that the company can start construction of the other lane, so that every body will benefit.
“This is mind-burgling. This is my first time of coming to the Abuja Industrial Park. As far as I am concerned, I have never seen this in the entire country. This is the first time I am seeing this. Some people have being conceptualizing industrial park, this will be a wonder land.
“We will be like giving them some tax credit so that they will be able to do that road which is about eight to ten kilometers. If that is done, then you know that, already, we would benefit tremendously.
“You can imagine how the whole of Idu will be developed. This is what every government craves for, and we must give them the necessary support.
“You don’t need to be told, having seen what is going on, it will happen in the next three- four years and they have assured us that if that approval is given, in eight to nine months, they would have completely completed the construction, and then all of this area will be open.”
While taking the minister and his entourage round the facility, the Managing Director of Zeberced Group, Adil Kurt, disclosed that there are 208 workshops, 200 factories that will supply small scale industries in the area.
He said the company had gotten approval from the federal government for the free trade zone status of the Park, so as to attract the desired investments to realise its huge economic benefits to the Territory.
The subsidiary industrial area is designed on a 97.000 m2 land, to provide land to small sized ventures to supply spare parts, maintenance and other services to meet the demands of companies in the park.
