President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Khawaja Masood Akhtar has lauded the decision of the government for setting up Special Economic Zone (SEZ) along the Sialkot-Lahore motorway.
Talking to Business Recorder here on Tuesday, he said that establishment of SEZ in the city would be supportive in further accelerating the pace of export activities and open new vistas of development and prosperity in the area.
Development of local cottage industries in the city had assumed a model status for developing world, he said.
Masood said that thousands of small and medium enterprises situated in the city were engaged in honouring their global commitments for the export of value-added goods and earning US 2.5 to 3 billion dollars annually.
The SCCI president said that due to the consistent growth of entrepreneurs the city is faced with acute shortage of industrial estates and zones to meet the growing demand of provision of industrial plots for establishing manufacturing units.
We had already proposed for setting up of new small industrial estates on all major arteries leading to Sialkot city, he said. He further added that the establishment of new estates in the city would resolve the problems. The city of Sialkot is important economic hub and the only totally export-oriented city of the country.
He said, "We suggested the government to develop proposed SEZ on Sialkot-Lahore Motorway near Wazirabad to encourage the industrial sector of golden triangle (Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat districts). He said that regular functioning of SEZ near Wazirabad would enable the industrial sectors of Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat and adjoining areas to play their instrumental role in boosting economic activities.
The SCCI president further stated that modernization of industrial sector of Sialkot which is export-oriented city is on top agenda and special attention would be focused on creating awareness about the new technologies among the business community of the area enabling to adopt new production techniques on priority basis.
Masood said that without adopting modern industrial technologies we are unable to compete the global markets with traditional industrial modes.