In order to shift the focus of exporting raw minerals and instead build local infrastructure to refine the minerals, Balochistan is currently pursuing Chinese copper investment to set up local processing units. This drive, spearheaded by the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT), is to make the province a regional center of downstream metal refining, especially copper. This plan will be aimed at bringing a lot of value to the huge mineral deposits in the province.
In a recent virtual meeting, BBoIT CEO Abdul Kabeer Khan Zarkoon met with the Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai, Shahzad Ahmed Khan, and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) officials. The meeting described a roadmap of further Pakistan-China cooperation, which would involve the construction of smelters and processing plants in Balochistan to process locally mined copper, gold, and other essential minerals.
Zarkoon pointed out that Balochistan is sitting on top of some of the richest copper and gold deposits in the world. He emphasized the need to shift the focus of exporting raw ore to exporting finished or semi-finished metal products. He said that this transition, supported by infrastructure and technological alliances, would not only increase export earnings but also create quality jobs to the local people.
Local Refining to Enhance Economy and Relationship with China
The provincial government has promised to enhance water supply, electricity access, and road networks in mining regions to attract foreign investment. Zarkoon also promised international investors of fast-track approvals, legal protection against discriminatory practices, and complete policy and regulatory support to establish processing operations in the province.
Today, Pakistan sells more than 1.2 billion dollars of copper ore to China. Balochistan is looking to increase this number by a large margin by improving its own refining capacity. Local processing of minerals will allow more export value to stay in Pakistan, benefiting the national economy.
In addition, the province considers joint-venture projects with Chinese technology partners as a chance to strengthen bilateral relations. Such ventures may involve joint research and development in mining technologies and training programmes to provide local workers with high-level skills in metallurgy.
This project is part of the larger policy of Pakistan to attract foreign investment in the mineral sector, diversify exports, and use strategic relationships, particularly with China, to realize the full economic potential of mineral-rich provinces such as Balochistan.
