Employment for 4 million people, now that would be something. The govt. on the right track. :k:
Attention being given to SMEs: Musharraf
FAISALABAD (February 18 2007): President General Pervez Musharraf has said that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are being given due attention to ensure that small entrepreneurs and businessmen fully benefit from the opportunities of growth and that wealth is not concentrated in a few hands.
Performing the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the largest industrial estate ‘M-3 Industrial City’ at Sahianwala alongside Motorway, he said that as ultimate objective of the government’s policies is betterment of masses, “I am happy to note that this industrial estate would provide jobs to four million people, thereby playing an important role in poverty alleviation, besides giving further impetus to the country’s economy.”
The President said, “Our policies are aimed at reduction in poverty and elimination of unemployment, and this industrial estate will not only prove to be quite beneficial for the local people but would also play a pivotal role in boosting the country’s economy.” Sprawling over 4,500 acres land, the ‘M-3 Industrial City’ will create jobs for four million individuals.
The development work of the ‘Industrial City’ would be completed in one-and-a-half years, he said. “I am glad to know that, just like Sundar Industrial Estate, Lahore, the industrialists shall have to establish production unit within a given time period so that no one of them can do real estate business on their industrial plots,” he said.
President Musharraf said that well-conceived policies of the government have brought about 10 percent reduction in poverty, besides a considerable decline in unemployment in the country.
He said, “Our policies have mainly focused on the promotion of value-addition that will enhance our exports.” The past governments did not give proper attention to the promotion of value addition and that was why the country lagged behind in many potential sectors, he added.
Quoting the example of marble industry, he said that 70 percent of the marble is lost during mining, while its cutting and polishing was not being done. Similarly, mining, cutting and polishing of gemstones also needed a lot of attention, he said, and added, “We export raw gemstones, while the importing countries resell these at about 30 percent higher rates.”
The President said Pakistan’s economy “is doing well, and all economic indicators are positive” with average growth rate of 7 percent, “but we have not only to maintain that but increase it considerably as we have full potential to do it”.
“We have already created investor-friendly environment by taking various initiatives and are attracting sufficient foreign direct investment,” he said. “However, more initiatives are required to fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the economic boom and development of industrial estates would go a long way in attracting more investment,” the President added.
He said he hoped that this estate would have the state-of-the-art facilities like the Sundar Industrial Estate at Lahore and would fully comply with international standards for environment, safety, infrastructure etc. He said that side by side with foreign investors, Pakistanis living in different countries should also invest here to further accelerate pace of economic development in the country.
The President said that small and medium enterprises are being given due attention to ensure that small entrepreneurs fully benefit from the opportunities of growth and the wealth is not concentrated in a few hands.
He said that as ultimate objective of the government’s policies was betterment of masses, “I am happy to note that this industrial estate would provide jobs to 4 million people, thereby playing important role in poverty alleviation besides giving further impetus to the country’s economy.”
Urging the industrialists to give due importance to the betterment of the workers, he said that by providing better facilities to them their efficiency could be enhanced to increase productivity.
The President said that he was happy to note that 400 acres of land has been acquired along the estate for setting up colonies for the workers. “Providing good wages and better living conditions to workers and health and education facilities to their families is essential to ensure that they perform their duties with full dedication.”
He said that as a part of a plan for rapid economic development, synergy was being developed between education and industry. Nine universities by foreign countries are also being set up in the country to produce engineers of international standard besides paying full attention to producing skilled manpower through technical institutions.
Appreciating Punjab government’s initiative to set up campuses of Punjab University, UET, Lahore and GCU at Faisalabad, Musharraf said that efforts would be made to establish one of the nine universities in this city.
He said that as energy is of basic importance for sustained development, the government is pursuing a comprehensive plan for ensuring sufficient generation of electricity through all sources–hydro, coal and nuclear. In addition, alternative energy resources, including wind and solar, are also being given due attention to meet energy requirements of industrial sector.
The President said that gas is also an important source of energy and recent recovery of gas reserves at Gurguri, NWFP, would play an important role in increasing gas supply, while work in connection with a project for import of natural gas from Iran is also in progress.
The President underlined the need for using piped gas for industries and promoting use of LPG for domestic use. He said that Pakistan has the resources and potential to develop, and “what we need is to wake up and fully utilise the opportunities.”
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said that the Punjab government was carrying out industrialisation in the province, as per President Musharraf’s vision of poverty alleviation, through economic development. “To ensure timely completion of the ‘M-3 Industrial City’, a timeframe has been fixed, under which it has to be completed in 12 to 18 months,” he said.
Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, Federal Industries Minister Jehangir Khan Tareen, Federal Minister for Textiles Mushtaq Cheema, Federal Minister for Law Wasi Zafar, Chairman, Faisalabad Industrial Estate Development, Management Company Muhammad Latif and a large number of businessmen and industrialists were also present on the occasion. President Musharraf performed the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the ‘M-3 Industrial City’ by unveiling a plaque.