Business

Auto sector set to make big gains from CPEC

Japan keen to collaborate to meet demand of four-wheel vehicles

Our Correspondent September 26, 2017

car manufacturing auto industry. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: The demand for four-wheel vehicles will rise from 0.25 million to 0.5 million in Pakistan within the next 12 years, according to a report by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda).

The report, which was sent to Smeda CEO Sher Ayub, said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will bring a lot of opportunities for the auto sector. This in turn will benefit the transport warehousing and freight forwarding services by further expanding the auto and logistics sector.

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The report said that auto is one of the fastest growing sectors in Pakistan and Japan is concentrating on collaboration to meet the augmenting demand of four-wheel vehicles in the country.

In this regard, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Director South Asia Naoyuki Nemoto visited Smeda-Sindh’s provincial office to explore new opportunities of assistance.

The report highlighted that with the changing trend of consumerism in the country, demand for agro-processing products was also increasing rapidly, adding that the requirements for processed and packaged semi-cooked food items, fruits and vegetables has also highly increased.

This meant improvement in quality for exploring international markets, the report mentioned.

China to build automobile city in Gwadar

The findings identified engineering sector particularly auto, logistics and agro-processing industry as high potential areas for collaboration between Pakistan and Japan.

Smeda CEO has assured to undertake special initiatives for making the local SMEs aware of the new joint venture opportunities emerging under CPEC.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th, 2017.

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COMMENTS (1)

esor | 7 years ago | Reply Okay good but where are the new entrants ?? It is extremely unfair to consumers and the country at large that the government Engineering Development Board (EDB) is delaying approvals for new entrants. Government must facilitate new entrants as much as possible. They are the need of the hour. Please no more preferential treatment to existing players especially the market leader Paksuzuki which is still dumping obsolete cars like Mehran, Bolan, Ravi, and Swift in Pakistan.

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