President Mamnoon Hussain on Friday called upon the local automotive industry to offer more choices and quality products to consumers at the affordable prices. Addressing the inaugural session of the Pakistan Auto Show-2015, organised by Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories (PAAPAM), he said this would gradually enhance its production. "We cannot afford to ignore the fact that country''s automotive industry has emerged to be a role model of development and growth for other sectors," he added.
He said that it was also the right time to pay attention to the most important player, the consumer, in the automotive supply chain. There was need to see as to why local consumers prefer imported "Used" vehicles and why local manufacturers could not give the consumers an affordable quality car, president questioned. "These are important questions which the industry should ponder over while moving forward," he said referring to the case with manufacturers of locally produced motorcycles who were compelled to bring down their cost due to easy availability of low-cost China-made motorbikes.
President said the government was working to provide the required support to the auto industry through adequate policy measures and it should respond by overcoming the challenges to offer choice and value for money to the consumer.
"I am confident that the new auto policy would open up an environment for increased competition by attracting new investors in this potential sector," he said. The president opined, "Open competition brings many benefits and helps companies learn to compete and win at global scale". This, he said drives businesses to deliver innovative products and services and also increases consumer choice while pushing prices down.
He also sought increased indigenisation of critical value-added parts as it was the only way to reduce prices. "I am of the firm view that our auto industry has to embrace latest manufacturing techniques and should move up the technology ladder, undertake research & development, develop new products and become part of the global supply chain," he said.
On this occasion, the president acknowledged that the auto sector contributed significantly to the economy of Pakistan in terms of taxes, duties and employment creation. "I am also fully conscious of the fact that this sector has shown resilience in these tough times and is now gradually emerging to restore its production levels," he commented.
Mentioning that the government was finalising the new auto policy in consultation with all stakeholders, he said a stable and predictable policy regime would take care of all aspects of the industry. Chairman of Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Siddiq Meisri and Amir Allahwala in their respective presentations extensively discussed difficulties faced by the industry. They said that the country''s auto industry was the largest source of employment for the skilled and semi-skilled youth of the country, besides being a major revenue source for the government. "We export our auto parts and tools to 57 countries across the globe, while our export value currently stands at US $140 million," they added.
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