ISLAMABAD: Law makers in the Senate on Monday called for measures to boost industrial growth for competing in international market as well as generating more revenue for the country.
Speaking on a motion in the House, Senators Ayesha Raza Farooq, Abdul
Qayyum, Mohsin Khan Leghari and Mohsin Aziz also urged to benefit from latest technologies in the world especially from the Chinese experts executing the China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.
Ayesha Raza Farooq urged the need for technology transfer to Pakistan for producing quality products and value addition to our products besides employing our labor potential to make our products internationally competitive.
She also called for moving to high standard goods from the present low standard goods to capture more international markets.
The member proposed investment in industrial sector in a systematic manner, impart technical training to our workforce especially women to strengthen cottage industry and prepare our workforce for production of goods that are internationally competitive.
Senator Abdul Qayyum said, our industry contributes over 60 percent to our exports by employing more than 40 percent labor force and earning maximum revenue for national kitty.
He said when Pakistan came into being only 34 industries came to its share out of total 921 industries in sub-continent with couple of them among them mentionable. Moreover, none of defence industries came to Pakistan's share out of total 19 defence industries in sub-continent. 'Therefore, we started from scrap and today Pakistan's industries are recognized internationally'.
About challenges to this sector, he was of the view that low investment, nationalization, lack of technical know how, energy crisis, lack of industrial credit, global recession, corrupiton, and national security situation had been the key probelsm facing respective governments in boosting industrial sector.
In this regard, he suggested to ensuring uninterrupted provision of raw material, laying infrastructure, improve security situation, addressing energy issues, effective utilization of resources, tax concessions and one-window credit facilities.
He acknowledged the measures of the present government in addressing energy crisis as well as improving security situation in the country as he called for more measures to capture more international markets for Pakistani exports.
Senator Mohsin Aziz said, there is dire need for concrete efforts to improve performance of our industrial sector to improve exports and foreign exchange reserves.
He called upon the government for concerted efforts to ease taxation system as well as improve energy situation for better performance of the industrial sector. (APP)