There is a great need of setting up mini industrial estates in ignored and far-off areas for edging out the rapid rural migration towards the city said President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Ghulam Mustafa Choudary. Sialkot is a hub of cottage industry and totally export-oriented city of Pakistan that earning over US one billion dollars through its exports annually, he added.
He said that the establishment of mini industrial estates in neglected areas would not only help reduce the rapid rural migration towards the city but also supportive in generating employment opportunities at local levels. "Currently a large number of industrial workers belonging to Pasrur, Narowal, Zafarwal, Daska and Sambrial are coming daily to Sialkot for their employment purposes and according to a rough estimate thousands skilled and semi skilled were engaged with local industries like soccer ball, surgical instruments, leather, gloves and martial art uniforms manufacturing".
"Under the circumstances, there was a dire need of establishment of mini estates for reducing burden on the city as well as to ensure job opportunities to the industrial workers at their doorsteps, besides this step would also be helpful in producing new vistas of industrial development and prosperity in the area".
He said in addition to this vending industry is an integral part of export industry and there was a need of two to three industrial estates in Sialkot not only for further accelerating the business activities in this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry but also accommodating the vending industry. Cottage industries were spread in and around the city and are housed at residential places to create various problems of noise and environment pollution.
The local government has also started a campaign against noise and environmental pollution, owing to which the vendors are being forced to shift away from residential areas, said President. He said that in order to cope with the situation and as part of exports promotion and pollution control measures, we have been recommending for an another industrial estate to accommodate vendors and manufacturers who cannot afford buying a small piece of land for their manufacturing units and the existing places lack civic amenities, as well. Shifting of vendors to a specific zone is also important for pollution control, an industrial hazard.
The industrial performance is based on the teamwork involving in house production and outsourcing to vendors and in this modern era it is vital to uplift and upgrade the facilities of these small vendors, so that they could provide quality products to the established exporters, he said.
He pointed out there is only one small industrial estate in Sialkot, so there is clear industrial need for well planned small industrial estate with necessary infrastructure adding that a new industrial estate is important to cater the need of small, medium and micro level industry.
It is a project of national importance relating to exports and the government should pay special attention on it by allocating necessary funds for purchasing 25 to 30 acres of land to provide three and five marla plots to the small manufacturers/vendors he said.
The SCCI President further added that there was a cottage industrial set up in Sialkot and there is hardly any large industry to be termed as corporation. He said that SMEs of this export city are complying with CSR issues, which must be recognised adding that Sialkot industry recognises and value the international concerns on CSR compliance.
Two independent organisations IMAC and CSDO had been established with the consensus of ILO, Unicef and SCCI to address the issues of Child Labour and CSR he disclosed. The SCCI President said, we would like to have the support of federal government, international agencies, international brands and other stakeholders in strengthening and capacity building of industry, IMAC and CSDO to address Child Labour and CSR issues amicably.
Some other leading industrialists said that Punjab government should focus on the establishment of mini industrial estates in ignored areas for changing the life style of these areas and to further accelerate industrial activities. The government should announce the establishment of mini estates in upcoming budget for the promotion of cottage industry, they said.