Pakistan next to Italy in producing motorbike, accessories: PSGMEA
*November 16 2007
RECORDER REPORT *
SIALKOT: Chairman Pakistan Sports Goods Manufactures and Exporters Association (PSGMEA) Professor Safdar Sandel has said that business community of Sialkot engaged with Sports Goods industry was making strenuous efforts for producing high quality and standard products to cope with the international market more easily.
In an interview with Business Recorder here on Thursday he disclosed that Sialkot which is a hub of cottage industry and famous for producing quality and standard sports goods and now had entered into manufacturing of “Motorbike” apparel and accessories and it would be a big ripple in economic activities which would fetch a handsome foreign exchange for the country.
The Chairman PSGMEA revealed that Pakistan is next to Italy in producing motorbike apparel and accessories and competing the global market easily. Similarly, the productions of Martial Art products were gaining momentum and according to a rough estimate about 150 units were engaged with the production of martial art uniforms in and around to Sialkot Professor Sandal said.
The PSGMEA Chairman further told that the demand of hand made soccer ball still exists despite the introduction of mechanised soccer ball because the machine made soccer ball had badly failed in producing sustainable results in the Football World Cup. Professor Safdar foresees that hand-stitched ball would stay with man because of its quality and technicalities.
The hand-stitched soccer ball during the game keeps the targeted direction whereas the machine made failed in maintaining the directions adding that in previous World Football Cup the ratio of field goals remained at lowest ebb. In order to cope with the threats of machined made soccer balls, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (SMEDA) had finalised almost all arrangement for setting up Sports Industry Development Centre in Sialkot for the modernisation of sports goods industry especially the soccer ball manufacturing sector enabling it cope with the new challenges of global market.
The setting up Sports Industries Development Centre (SIDC) project would enable Sports Goods sector to adopt new technology of mechanised ball, which is threatening to the hand-stitched inflatable soccer ball.
It may be added that the Sports Goods sector of Sialkot is the main export sector of the city with total exports of about US 350 million dollar per annum. The city caters to 85 percent of total world demand of hand stitched inflatable balls, which means around 40 million balls annually worth 210 million dollars.
The small and medium units are spread over the whole district of Sialkot, which form nearly 90 percent of all the enterprises and Sialkot is fully entitled to call the city of SMEs Professor Sandal said.
The Chairman Sports Goods further told that under the current global scenario and fast growing global industrialisation, it has been observed that the SME sector has not been able to fully realise its potential. Exclusive handwork and manual caliber is not going to meet the challenges of mechanisation. Sole dependence on human craft is not enough. Lack of automation, scanty use of advanced technologies and methodical contentment is dangerous. The pressures on Small and Medium Businesses today are more intense than ever. Advancement in technology can alone help forestall Small Business’s success and meet requirements of the ever changing choices, whims and moods of the World markets.
The government should take appropriate step for extending the facility of “Research and Development” to Sports Goods industry enabling to cope with the global market in the presence of modern trends and customs demands he said.
Professor Sandal said that the Federal Commerce Ministry must come forward as strong player for building and promoting indigenous industries to help the Small Medium Entrepreneurs grow further. The future will be bright, the gloom has to be shed off. Energetic youth have to take forward the chariot as strong steeds and steer the economy with unrivalled determination and vigour he added.
my only questions to Professor Safdar Sandel will be