'Auto vendor industry has adequate facilities to produce parts'

Permission to import second hand prime movers buses under T.R. and special purpose trucks in the trade policy 2008-09 has expressed the administrative lapses in following the deletions program, this was stated by Iftikhar Malik, former president, FPCCI and former chairman Pakistan Automobile Spare Parts Importers and Dealers Association (Paspida).
He said that the deletion program followed diligently Pakistan would have been not only self sufficient in case of Japanese vehicles like Hino, UD Nissan but also exporting to other countries heaving investment in the assembling units. This was Pakistan made paradise for the automobile assemblers, which hardly passed on technology to vendor industry to produce deleted parts locally.
Our auto vendor industry has adequate in-house engineering facilities to produce such parts. The brilliant example of Massey Ferguson UK tractors could be quoted as evidence. They have achieved deletion over 90 percent. It means the technology exists in the country but auto assemblers are intentionally diverting to their principals for import of parts avoiding the deletion program.
Malik said that he was chairman Paspida in 1978 on the basses of his 30 years experience he could exert with authority that Pakistan had remained heaven for import of vehicles due to leniency on the part of government, while in the same period a number of Asian countries acquired the technical know-how to manufacture complete vehicles with the help of local vendors industry. Under various schemes almost junk was imported from outside against the scarce foreign exchange in the name providing employment.
While commenting on import of CNG buses from India, he said that only those assemblers are selected who gave guarantee to invest in Pakistan, establish manufacturing plants, transfer the necessary know-how to local vendor industry and also ensure buy-back arrangements. It is heartening to note that visiting Japanese study group has called on the finance minister and ensured to invest in Pakistan in vital sectors like auto, power and infrastructure.
It is suggested that Japanese should base their next automobile units in Pakistan on local vendor industry to give maximum benefit for the development of small industries. Moreover, the important raw materials, which are in shortage particularly steel must be produced in Pakistan through installing a mini steel mill to produce auto grade steel. It is important for the development of automobile industry.-PR