KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Energy, Industries, Commerce, Investment & Skill Development SM Tanveer, while underscoring the need to put the business politics and all differences aside, advised the leadership of Karachi Chamber to join hands by forming a ‘Working Group’ for discussing and finalizing strategies on how to get common issues resolved which were being suffered by the entire business community of Pakistan since long.
Exchanging views at a meeting during his visit to Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), SM Tanveer, who is also Chief Patron United Businessmen Group (UBG), said that most of these issues being faced by the business communities of Sindh and Punjab were of similar nature but unfortunately, the business communities of both provinces were not on same page which was the basic reason why these issues remain unresolved. “Hence, we decided to wholeheartedly form a working group. We may have serious arguing and disagreements but we must make a strong commitment that when we leave the meeting room, we all have one convincing voice for getting the issues resolved.”, he added while praising the gesture shown by Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala who fully supported the idea to put differences aside and make collective efforts.
The meeting was attended by Chairman BMG Zubair Motiwala, Vice Chairman BMG Anjum Nisar, President KCCI Mohammed Tariq Yousuf, Senior Vice President Touseef Ahmed, Vice President Haris Agar, Former President Iftikhar Ahmed Vohra, Chairman United Businessmen Group (UBG) Shehzad Ali Malik, Khalid Tawab, Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Ahmed Chinoy, Hanif Gauhar, Noor Ahmed Khan, Ikram Rajput, Furqan Abdul Qadri and KCCI Managing Committee Members.
Responding to President KCCI’s remarks about the poor state of industrial estates in Sindh, SM Tanveer recalled his services as Chairman of Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (PIEDMC) for a period of six years when although, he was directed by the then Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif to established at least one Industrial Estate in Punjab, he succeeded in establishing six industrial estates during his tenure as Chairman PIEDMC. “In order to make an industrial zone successful, it has to be ensured that the plots are strictly utilized for setting up industrial units and the industrial zones must be fully equipped with required infrastructure and facilities otherwise, these won’t be successful”, he said, adding that successful operations of one industrial estate gives birth to another industrial estate.
He stressed that the business community of Sindh will have to carry out effective lobbying to convince Chief Minister and Minister for Industries in Sindh to pay special attention to the problems being suffered by the industrial estates of Karachi, besides looking into the possibility of setting up new industrial estates where land must be made available only to industrialists at inexpensive rates.
Chairman Businessmen Group Zubair Motiwala, who joined the meeting via video link, said, “If we continue to work individually from several platforms, it will never be possible to get the issues resolved so we have to sit together on a single table and work hand in glove to devise strategies for common issues. Once the government sees the entire business community fully united without any disagreement, it will have no other option but to resolve all the issues.”
President KCCI Mohammed Tariq Yousuf, while welcoming SM Tanveer, pointed out that since last 35 years, not a single industrial zone was established in Karachi whereas, many industrial zones have become operational in Punjab during all these years. “Although huge lands spread over thousands of acres are available at Port Qasim and Pakistan Steel where industries can be established but we don’t see it happening”, he added while seeking SM Tanveer’s guidance on how to convince the Sindh Government so that same measures, which have been successfully implemented in Punjab for industrialization, could also be adopted in Sindh.
He said that due to unavailability of required land as well as necessary infrastructure for industrial estates, many industries have shifted their businesses. “There was a time when Gadap Town situated at the outskirts of Karachi was the hub of poultry industry but not anymore as they have also shifted businesses to other provinces.”
Tariq Yousuf assured that any proposal for promotion of industrialization and business activities in Sindh by SM Tanveer will be fully supported by KCCI.