'Industrial cities must be exempted from loadshedding'

Sialkot is an important economic centre and the only export-oriented city in Pakistan where 99 percent items are produced and exported to various parts of the globe. Thousands of small and medium enterprises situated in and around the city are engaged in honouring their international commitments for export of value-added quality goods.
Through export, Sialkot based small and medium industries have been earning foreign exchange amounting over one billion US dollars yearly and strengthening the national exchequer.
Sialkot-made footballs, field hockey sticks, cricket gear and boxing gloves are used in international games including the Olympics and World Cups. It may be mentioned here that industries producing surgical instruments and sports goods are the oldest ones which are playing tremendous role not only in strengthening national economy but also in providing employment opportunities to hundreds of industrial workers.
Most of the developed countries used to import surgical instruments from Sialkot and everyday hundreds of surgeries are performed around the world by the surgeons using the instruments made in Sialkot. Thus Sialkot-made instruments are playing a silent but significant role in healing the wounds and fighting against diseases world-wide.
Surgical manufacturers are producing about 100 million instruments annually and the disposables produced by the industry constitute 60 percent as well as reusable instruments 40 percent of the exports. The industry is producing surgical instruments, dental instruments, veterinary, pedicure and manicure, tailor scissors, barber saloon and beauty saloon scissors.
Almost 74 percent production of surgical instruments is being sold to ten different countries of which 29 percent to USA, 14 percent tp Germany and 9 percent to the United Kingdom and remaining 26 percent to rest of the world. Surgical industry has been enjoying monopolistic position because no other can produce surgical instruments within the price range and variety and capable to manufacture at the most economical rates.
There is a great need of "Separate Business Strategy" for Sialkot keeping in view its unique export culture and craftsmanship that enables it to play significant role in earning maximum foreign exchange for the country.
Despite several internal problems like high tariff of power, gas and electricity load shedding and increase in petroleum prices as well as law-and-order situation the local exporters and manufacturers have been fulfilling their international commitments to keep the national economic wheel in full motion and to compete in global market.
When Ghulam Mustafa Choudary from Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) contacted to ascertain his viewpoint about the industrial needs for bringing radical changes in industrial sector of the city, he underscored the need of formulation of a separate business plan for Sialkot to enhance the productivity and to bring innovation in the products.
The industrial technology has improved the production line world-wide but due to lack of funds and government support our industrial sector is lagging behind and without the support and co-operation of the government the tracking of the local industrial sector on modern lines is impossible, he said.
It was our national duty that we should think positively and play some constructive role in bringing out the country of commercial crisis and work together for economic uplift of the country, he said.
Ghulam Mustafa revealed that the bank loan and tax default rate in this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry was practically zero percent which is clear proof of the prudent and responsible attitude of the business community. Some other exporters were of the view that increase in utility bills are detrimental at this juncture for exports of the country and urged upon the government to withdraw the decision of increase in utility bills.
Former SCCI President Khurram A. Khawaja was of the opinion that there was a great need of exempting all industrial towns from electricity and sui gas load shedding for hurdle-free productivity in the country.
Khurram Khawaja said that Sialkot, Gujranwala and Faisalabad cities of Punjab if exempting load shedding will play a dominating role in boosting the export volume to many folds adding that these cities were also playing their tremendous role in providing employment opportunities to thousands industrial workers. At present the exporters and manufacturers were unhappy with the on-going polices of the government especially with electricity load shedding and high tariff electricity and petroleum prices as a result of which the prices of raw material had been increased he said.
Under the current circumstances he said the exporters and manufacturers are confronting with the multifarious problems because they are unable to complete foreign orders in time due to the long electricity load shedding and high production cost. What we understand that government is doing this intestinally for creating fuss and divert the attention of masses from ground realities and core issues and floating issues one by one to camouflage the hard facts he added.