Provincial government initiates efforts to revive SSIC

Sindh Small Industries Corporation returns after year-long closure to aid cottage industries in the province

KARACHI: After a year of closure due to over-employment and mismanagement, the Sindh government has initiated efforts to revive Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) - a public sector enterprise dedicated to promoting small-scale and cottage industries in the province.

Established under the Small Industries and Handicrafts Development Corporation Act, 1972, one of the department’s primary responsibilities included promoting handicrafts in Sindh. The corporation had set up 22 small industrial estates in Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur Mirs, Larkana and other districts to facilitate and promote small-scale and cottage industries in the province. But given limited finances, it became increasingly difficult for the over-burdened organisation to pay its employees and sustain itself, resulting in its closure in the last financial year.

However, the provincial government’s revival efforts have made it possible to re-initiate the once halted development schemes in the current fiscal year. For the purpose, the government has recently invited tenders for the development of the Small Industrial Estate in Larkana and is expected to spend Rs 45 million reconditioning the roads over Rs 35 million mending open drainages in the estate.

Previously, the Sindh Small Industries Corporation was running a handicrafts shop in a rented space within the Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) House Karachi, to promote handicrafts of the province. However it had to leave the premises under the Sindh High Court’s orders in 2015. The SSIC management later opened its handicrafts shop outside its head office located in Preedy Street, Saddar.

According to the Sindh Minister for Industries, Jam Ikramullah Dharejo, the provincial government has been assisting the corporation’s revival through special grants and has also been trying to generate revenue by improving recovery of the SSIC projects. “The main reason for SSIC’s collapse was the over-hiring of employees in the past, which is why it became difficult for the corporation to pay their salaries. But now most SSIC matters including excess recruitment are under proceeding at the court as well as the National Accountancy Bureau.”

Sindh industries secretary Nasim-ul-Ghani Saheto informed The Express Tribune that the department has been trying to expedite the establishment of small-scale and cottage industrial units at SSIC’s industrial estate.

“I hope the development work in Larkana’s Small Industrial Estate will help bring more investors to the cottage industry there. Other than that, the department also plans to initiate developmental work in other districts of the province where required,” said Saheto. He further added that he will be personally visiting SSIC projects in different districts of the province to make sure the issues there are duly resolved.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th, 2020.