Undue protection to private sector weakens industrial base: Tareen

Minister for Industries, Jahangir Khan Tareen and State Minister for Finance, Omer Ayub Khan, on Thursday conceded that the policy of pampering and undue protection to private sector has weakened Pakistan''s industrial base, besides intoxicating domestic industries of subsidies and easy money-making.
However, they told the participants of "Industrial growth; moving up competitiveness curve" session on the second day of Pakistan Development Forum (PDF) that the government was striving to change the mindset by clearing conveying to the domestic industrial sector that days of subsidies and other easy gains were over. Now they have to get fit to compete in today''s challenging world.
He said Pakistan''s new policy focuses on discouraging the domestic industry from sitting and waiting for subsidies and undue protection for growth. Jahangir Tareen and Omer Ayub Khan told a questioner that the government has taken inputs from all stakeholders for policy-making and also keeps in view the ground realities. He said trade and current account deficits were outcome of high oil prices and higher machinery import. He noted that Ministry of Industries and Commerce were on the same wavelength for economic progress and prosperity of Pakistan.
Tareen added that the government will announce the new initiatives in upcoming automobile policy to make this sector an attraction for the investors.
Omer Ayub Khan told Shahnawaz Khan of Asia Foundation, a questioner who raised the issue that it looks nice to sit in green city, like Islamabad and talk of poverty reduction and creating jobs. But the question is as to what extent the policy makers were aware of the ground realities in under developed areas of Pakistan. Jahangir Tareen, Hina Rabani Khar, and he himself hail from the rural areas where the people held them accountable for bad or good performance of the government. He said that they were fully cognisant of the ground realities and take them into account before making any policy.
The State Minister told another questioner that private sector was not cognisant of what it was for and what not. He said the private sector in Pakistan did not invest in training and other programme of human development. He added that the government has taken a number of initiatives to train manpower for the privates sector and help it establish a sound industrial base in Pakistan.
Hina Rabani Khar briefed the participants about various programmes launched by the government to impart necessary skill and training to the people. She said the government was all out to provide protection to the women at workplaces and improve their living standards. Hina Rabani Khar also told a questioner that the government has launched 6 pilot programme to introduce one product on village concept in Pakistan, and in next phase it will be extended to 100 villages in near future.