PESHAWAR: Small Industries Development Board (SIDB) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is playing vital role in development of clusters of furniture, handicrafts, marble & granite and hunting and sporting arms of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The board was established in 1972 through an Act of Provincial Assembly after the dissolution of West Pakistan Small Industries Development Corporation. After renaming of the province from NWFP to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through constitutional amendment on April 15, 2010 the name of the Board was also updated as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Small Industries Development Board.
KP- SIDB is an autonomous body of IC&TE Department mandated with promotion & development of cottage, small and other industry and is a source of providing employment to local people. Besides this, the Board also has a mandate to disseminate technical skills in various traits to ensure balanced supply of skilled worked force in the market.
The board has also been instrumental in developing clusters of furniture, carpet making, handicrafts, marble granite, footwear and arms making in the province. Presently, exhibition for the promotion and development of various clusters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also planned in Islamabad, the federal capital of Pakistan in the months of June and October, 2022.
The Board has established a number of Small Industrial Estates across the province namely in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Dargai, Malakand, Khalabat, Haripur, Havelian, Abbottabad and Mansehra. It has proposed the establishment of 19 new small industries estates in Swat, Swabi, Dir Upper, Dir Lower, Bannu-II, Khuram, Bajaur, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Barra, Abbottabad III, Manshera II and Chitral. Recently, it has facilitated the participation of various clusters of the province in Dubai Expo 2020.
The board is operating Small Industries Estate, Peshawar that was established in 1962. The estate covers an area of 54.41 acres with about 400 units which employing 10000 to 15000 people. The estate is equipped with industrial facilities while installation of separate feeders for uninterrupted power supply to the industry is also in the process and is near to completion. 80% of the factories in SIE Peshawar are engaged in manufacturing of hunting and sporting arms.
The products manufactured here are well-appreciated in both local and international markets. According to estimates investment of Rs 4,030 million have been mobilized by private sector in this estate and flow of more investment from private sector is expected. To meet the demand of local industrialists and further industrialization in the province, practical steps have been taken to set up another Small Industries Estate Peshawar-II at Zangali on main Kohat Road.
The second industrial estates would be situated only 14 kilometers away from the existing estate. It will cover 1268 kanal land and will occupy have 800 industrial units. To facilitate overseas Pakistanis, the Board has allocated 20% quota in SIE Peshawar-II for oversees citizens. Furthermore, to facilitate the industrialists at their doorstep, the board has also decided to develop a commercial plaza in the jurisdiction of SIE Peshawar-II.
The Small Industries Estate Mardan is another flagship project operating under the auspices of SIDB KP. It has 3 phases, collectively covering 473 acres of land. There are about 200 mostly units of market and granite and playing major role in the socio- economic uplift of locals. Due to high demand, the establishment of fourth industrial estate in Mardan is also been proposed.
The board has also established SIE Abbottabad which is established on 20 acres land with 115 industrial units mostly manufacturing marble, granite and furniture. SIE Abbottabad has attracted investment worth Rs. 2,950 million from the private sector. Similarly, SIE Bannu, covers 59.30 acres of land where 233 industrial units are operational employing around 13000 individual by mobilizing Rs 3,784 million from the private sector.
On the growing demand of industrialists of district Bannu, establishment of second another small industrial estate in the district is planned. The Board has also established industrial estates in Manshera, Charsadda, Kohat, Karak, DI Khan providing employment opportunities and playing role in bringing socio-economic uplift of the local population.
The board is also operating Pak-German Wood Working Center, which is generating skill workforce for the furniture sector of the province. The centre established in 1970 with the support of Germany has generated hundreds of skilled workforce in the province.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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