Pakistan’s pink salt is among its most distinctive mineral resources, yet much of its economic potential remains untapped. Extracted largely as a raw mineral and sold at relatively low prices, it is often processed, packaged, and branded abroad, allowing Pakistan to miss out on a substantial share of the value. Punjab’s new initiative seeks to change this pattern by promoting local processing, enterprise and internationally competitive Pakistani products.

Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif has launched the province’s first Pink Salt Value Addition Financing Scheme, offering interest-free loans of up to Rs50 million to businesses engaged in processing and developing pink salt products. At the launch, she distributed cheques among 10 entrepreneurs and directed them to extend the scheme to more prospective businesses.

The Punjab government has allocated Rs5 billion for interest-free financing under the scheme and will bear Rs1.456 billion in interest costs. The initiative is designed to lower the financial barrier for entrepreneurs and encourage investment in processing, packaging and product development.

Pink salt is particularly suited to this strategy because of its distinctive colour and established recognition in international markets.

Pink salt is particularly suited to this strategy because of its distinctive colour and established recognition in international markets.

At the centre of the program is a 110-acre Pink Salt Processing Unit in Quaidabad, established as a specialised industrial cluster. The Pink Salt Mineral Processing........

© Daily Times