‘Industrial estates to be run with traders’ consultation’

[LRE]

‘Industrial estates to be run with traders’ consultation’



Thursday, July 10, 2008
By Our Correspondent

LAHORE

PUNJAB Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that all industrial estates would be run with the consultation and participation of local industrialists and businessmen while the Industries Department and Punjab Small Industries Corporation will only regulate their affairs.

The CM was presiding over a meeting held to review matters of industrial estates, small industries and TEVTA at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on Tuesday.

He said that formulation of successful policies for industrial development was not possible without the cooperation of industrialists; therefore, effective representations will be given to local industrialists having good repute in the board of directors. He directed to handover eight cluster development centres being operated by the Punjab Small Industries Corporation in various cities of the province to the private sector.

The CM said that effective participation and consultation of private sector in all industrial estates should be ensured. He also directed to form a sub-committee to look into the matter of shortage of basic facilities in industrial estates. The sub-committee will submit its report to the chief minister within ten days.

The CM was briefed that cluster development centres in Chiniot, Sialkot, Sargodha and Lahore will be completed within two months while two cluster centres in Multan and others in Daska and Faisalabad will become operational by next year. He sought details of the cost of setting up the cluster centres as well as relevant information and directed that Punjab Industrial Corporation should coordinate between SMEs, TEVTA, cottage industry, agriculture and trade industries as well as other industries in the province.

Shahbaz said that a scheme will be initiated for the provision of small loans to skilled persons so that they could be activated and brought into the mainstream. He said that this scheme will also generate job opportunities and go a long way in the socio-economic development of million of families. He issued instructions to set up a sub-committee for the provision of small loans to skilled workers. He said the government will only play the role of facilitator in this regard.

The CM said that the issue of shortage of electricity and fuel for local industries has assumed serious proportions, therefore; industrialists should submit their proposals to evolving plans for alternate energy sources. He said that power can be produced from canals and the proposals regarding setting up of new industries near canals could also be considered. He said that electricity could also be generated easily locally through hydro-power plants. He said practicable power generation projects be planned near the already-existing industrial estates and the proposed new industrial estates near canals.

The meeting was informed that in addition to 46 paper mills, hundreds of small and medium industrial units were operating on Lahore-Sheikhupura Road. The CM said that due attention will be paid on resolving the problems of industrial units on Sheikhupura Road. The CM was given a detailed briefing on Sundar Industrial Estate, Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate Kot Lakhpat, Multan Industrial Estate, Faisalabad Industrial Estate as well as other industrial estates in Jhelum, Gujjar Khan, Chakwal, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Bahawalpur, Sialkot, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Daska, Texla, Kasur, Mian Channu and Khanewal.

MNA Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan, MPAs Ghulam Habib Awan and Imran Ashraf, Secretary Industries, Secretary Finance, Secretary TEVTA, Bank of Punjab President, presidents of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Sheikhupura, Mohsin Aziz of NIB Bank, Chief Executive Officer of PAMCO, Mansoor-ul-Arifeen, Jahangir Khan Tareen, Alman Aslam, Khawaja Haroon, Shafqat Elahi, Yawar Irfan, Chairman All Pakistan Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Chief Executive PIEDMC Sundar, Chairman FIDEMC and President Punjab Handicraft Trade Group Association attended the meeting.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=123294