Unscheduled and long electricity load shedding adversely hitting the productivity in Sialkot which is an important hub of economic and cottage industry of the country. Sialkot is only export-oriented city in Pakistan where 99 percent items produced and are exported to various parts of the glob.
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 were earning foreign exchange amounting over US one billion dollars yearly and strengthening the national exchequer.
It is very unfortunate that unscheduled electricity was being carried out during peak hours as a result of which manufacturers and exporters were confronted with multiple problems.
Sialkot made footballs, field hockey sticks, cricket gear and boxing gloves were used in international games, including the Olympics and World Cups. It may be mentioned that surgical and sports goods industries are the oldest industries which were playing tremendous role not only in strengthening national economy but also in providing employment opportunities hundreds industrial workers.
Most of the developed countries were importing surgical instruments from Sialkot and everyday, hundreds of surgeries were performed around the world by surgeons using the instruments made in Sialkot. Thus Sialkot made instruments were playing a silent but significant role in healing of wounds and fighting disease world-wide. Surgical manufacturers were producing about 100 million instruments annually and industry was producing disposable which constitutes 60 percent of the exports and reusable instruments which was 40 percent of the exports. The industry was producing surgical instruments, dental instruments, veterinary, pedicure and manicure, tailor scissors, barber saloon and beauty saloon scissors.
Almost 74 percent production of surgical was being sold to ten different countries of which 29 percent to USA, 14 percent Germany and 9 percent United Kingdom and remaining 26 percent to rest of the world. Surgical industry was enjoying monopolistic position because no other can produce surgical instruments in price range and variety and able to manufacture at most economical rates
There is great need of a "Separate Business Strategy" for Sialkot keeping in view its unique export culture and craftsmanship enabling it play significant role in earning maximum foreign exchange for the country. Despite several internal problems like high tariff of power, gas load shedding, law and order situation the local exporters and manufacturers were fulfilling their international commitments to keep the national economic wheel in full motion and to compete global market.
When contact Ghulam Mustafa Choudary Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) to ascertain his viewpoint about the industrial needs for bringing radical change in industrial sector of the city he underscored the need of formulation of a separate business plan for Sialkot for enhancing the productivity and bringing innovation in products.
The industrial technology has improved the production line world-wide but due to lack of funds and government support our industrial sector was 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.
The SCCI President 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. Sialkot, Gujranwala and Faisalabad cities of Punjab if exempting from 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 he said.
Most of the manufacturers and exporters were unhappy with the on-going polices of the government especially with electricity load shedding and high tariff electricity as a result of which the prices of raw material had been increased . 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 they added.
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