Ministry lends helping hand to industrialists

Offers assistance in tapping alternative energy and technical training.

FAISALABAD: In an apparent bid to placate the industry which has been crippled by gas shutdown, a secretary of the Ministry of Industries has lent a helping hand to Faisalabad industrialists to help them steer clear of the energy crisis and focus on alternative energy resources and energy audit.

The ministry will also provide technical assistance and training aimed at improving industrial productivity with special focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Speaking during a visit to the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Monday, Ministry of Industries Joint Secretary Neelophar Hafeez said the ministry had already set up a regional office of the National Productivity Organization (NPO) at FCCI for providing training in increasing industrial productivity and consultancy services.

She said the Pakistan Industrial Training Assistance Centre would give technical training along with expert advice on energy audit, desired by different industries, to determine wastage and save energy.

Acknowledging that the energy crisis was not expected to disappear in the near future, she suggested that the industrialists should tap alternative energy resources and in this effort the ministry would offer technical assistance as well as seed money under a public-private partnership programme.

She also sought suggestions from the FCCI members for a new industrial policy and assured them that her ministry would approach related ministries for resolving the energy crisis and other problems faced by the industrialists.

FCCI Vice President Chaudhry Muhammad Boota said severe electricity and gas shortages had crippled the industry, particularly textile mills, which mainly rely on exports.

Now, the textile export target of $16 billion for 2012-13 was under threat and trade deficit could shoot up, he said. “Exporters are losing trust and confidence of foreign buyers for on-time shipment of orders.”

He termed it a great injustice when one part of the country was receiving gas for six days a week and industries in the other part had no gas at all.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2013.

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