SIALKOT: The local business community has urged the government to establish small industrial zones in this export-oriented city for extending the radius of industrial sector of the area.
Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Mansoor Ahmed, in an interview with APP, said that mini industrial areas should be developed on the outskirts of Sialkot for providing employment opportunities to industrial workers to their doorstep.
The SCCI President further said that vending industry was an integral part of export industry which should be accommodated in the proposed mini estates for ensuring all facilities under one roof. He pointed out that there was only one small industrial estate in Sialkot and there was clear industrial need for well-planned mini industrial estates with necessary infrastructure, adding that setting up mini estates were important to cater to the need of small, medium and micro level industry of the area.
He said the SCCI had focused special attention for the promotion of SME sector, aimed at enabling it to play an instrumental role in boosting up export volume. “We are holding series of training workshops for the new exporters for creating awareness how to do business”, he said.
Mansoor said, “We are focusing on reducing the production cost by obtaining modern technology and in this regard we are pursuing for setting up more common facility centres with the active support of Commerce Ministry and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to facilitate the SMEs of the area”.
The business community of this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry, was confronting serious problems due to shortage of skilled workforce and there was immediate need of training centres for producing skilled labour in accordance with the local industry’s requirements, he said.
Mansoor suggested that industrial machinery should be made tax free enabling the business community to modernize its workplaces to cope with modern industrial challenges easily. The SCCI President further stated that business community of Sialkot was playing a pivotal role not only in strengthening the national exchequer but also in providing employment opportunities to thousands workers.
