Deputy
Chairman Planning Commission of Pakistan Mr. Sartaj Aziz said that the federal
government is committed to take up on priority the problems faced by the local
industry and manufacturing sector in Pakistan and to take appropriate measures
to boost up industrial sector in the country, he maintained this while talking
to the delegation of Lahore Chamber and Industry headed by Mr. Tahir Javed,
President LCCI.
The
meeting discussed various proposals to address issues faced to the local
industry in Pakistan. Mr. Sartaj Aziz said that the government had always
believed to solve these issues considering proposals envisaged by and taking on
board the stakeholders of the relevant sector. The Deputy Chairman further
maintained that there was a dire need to promote competitiveness and ensure
quality of products following globally acknowledged standards of manufacturing
and pricing. Mr. Sartaj Aziz said that for the first time during the last
decade the government brought loadshedding of the industrial sector to zero
level. The basic purpose behind this initiative was to revive our ailing
industry and boost up industrial production to compete the contemporary world.
He said that the government was completely aware of the problems faced by
different sectors but at the same time it was responsibility of our industry to
bring innovation to ensure competitive edge to stay on par with the rest of the
world.
The
deputy chairman informed the delegation that the government was taking
appropriate measures to increase exports and help the industry to reduce
production costs. Similarly, the government was also focusing on the services
sector which would ultimately result in boosting economic growth rate. Deputy
Chairman, Sartaj Aziz said that special focus on services sector is being paid to
increase economic growth. Value edition in all sectors, including agriculture,
can increase demand for domestic products. He said that focus on priductivity,
quality, and innovation could bring more value and open up vista of
opportunities for Pakistani Industry with increased global access to our
products.
Sartaj
Aziz maintained that the government was planning to establish export processing
zones under CPEC framework that would enable right estimation of demand of our
products, increase in industrial products and timely access to the targetted
market. Sartaj Aziz said that modernization of communication, road
networks and railway infrastructure would not only ensure better and fast
transportation of industrial products and the raw material but it would
also minimize final cost of the end products.