The Pakistan Chemical Manufacturers Association (PCMA) has expressed grave concern over the government's consideration to disband the Engineering Development Board (EDB). Association's Secretary General and Chief Operating Officer Iqbal Kidwai on Thursday urged the government to continue operation of EDB as it is the only government organization taking care of the matters related to chemical industry.
He acknowledged that EDB had been on board with PCMA regarding Nephta Cracker Complex (NCC) issue and conveying the chemical industry's viewpoint fairly to the government on the basic need of chemical industry. "The concept paper of NCC, submitted to the EDB, has been taken up with Ministry of industries and production and we are afraid that closure of EDB would also close the process of establishing NCC in Pakistan," he said.
The similar fears are prevailing in chemical industry on Chemical Vision 2030 that carries optimistic scope of growth for chemical industry but it is likely to remain pending in absence of EDB.
He said the engineering industry was in dire need of government patronage for development of engineering goods and services on modern lines in Pakistan to become a technologically sound and globally integrated industry. The EDB, however, was a great source of the required support from the government side and its sudden closure would be felt as a great disappointment in the industry at large, he said, and urged the government to revise its decision in line with opinion of the business community's prime body FPCCI.