In this undated photo, Chinese and Pakistani staff members of China Metallurgical Group Corp look over project blueprints at one of the company's plants in Pakistan. (PHOTO / FOR CHINA DAILY)
By promoting the local economy and helping to improve social welfare, China Metallurgical Group Corp, or MCC, is dedicated to becoming a model business in boosting economic cooperation between China and Pakistan.
As a State-owned company in the iron and steel industry, MCC is one of the earliest Chinese companies to operate businesses and projects in Pakistan.
In 1990, MCC managed the construction of the Saindak Copper-Gold Mine based on an engineering, procurement and construction contract-.
The Saindak Copper-Gold Mine was set up by Saindak Metals Ltd, a company owned by the government of Pakistan, at the end of 1995. In 2002, MCC beat the competition in the project bidding and began the first phase of the lease.
Saindak Copper-Gold Mine has made a steady profit for 18 consecutive years, becoming a major driver of local economy and praised by governments on both sides as "a model of China-Pakistan economic cooperation-"-.
Located in Saindak in Chagai district, Balochistan, the project has helped to improve local livelihoods in aspects such as water, electricity, healthcare and education.
As a State-owned company in the iron and steel industry, MCC is one of the earliest Chinese companies to operate businesses and projects in Pakistan
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To illustrate, Saindak Copper-Gold Mine has tackled problems in water and power supplies for local residents. It offers more than 15,000 cubic meters of purified water and more than 20,000 cu m of raw water for free, at an annual expenditure of over $100,000. It supplies electricity 24/7 for nearby villages free of charge, incurring related cost for the project at $1 million annually.
To date, Saindak Copper-Gold Mine has more than 1,500 Pakistani employees. Every year, MCC assigns its Chinese engineers to conduct skills training.
During the last 18 years, more than 10,000 training sessions of various kinds were held covering approximately 100,000 man-hours. Thousands of Pakistani employees have become skilled through the systematic training. Some of them took their skills out of the project and are contributing to the economic and social advancement of different sectors in Pakistan.
In addition, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, MCC actively played its part in contributing medical supplies for Pakistanis and maintained steady production in 2020.
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Apart from providing anti-pandemic materials, MCC also organized charity events to assist disadvantaged households in Balochistan-last year. It helped more than 3,000 needy families in Chagai district and 300 families in six local villages by sending daily necessities such as flour, rice and cooking oil.
Such moves have been appreciated by local people and are part of MCC's effort to fulfill corporate social responsibility as a State-owned enterprise-.
Under the support of the two countries' governments, MCC will continue to cooperate with Pakistani people and build closer partnerships between the two sides.