Change of mindset need of the hour to change lifestyles and build Pakistan….Thaver

The Financial Daily….25th June 2022

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has reiterated that no amount of meetings and conferences will succeed unless we change our own lifestyles and overcome the bad habits of wastage, giving preferance to foreign goods and showing off by staying in palatial houses and owning luxury cars. Simple living and high thinking must be our goal. Foreign goods burden the country with huge debts and our country spends 56 % of foreign exchange in debt servicing.
UNISAME president Zulfikar Thaver said the government is trying to balance the imports and exports by standing on one leg and this cannot not be successful and unless we change our mindset and stop importing and using foreign imported goods through imports or smuggling or arranging deliveries through carriers who bring any required items overnight from Dubai as they shuttle between Karachi and Dubai every alternate day.
It is high time the government realizes that we need industries for import substitution and also promote industries where indigenous raw material is used.
We also need to make solar systems mandatory for new houses, factories and shops and not give completion certificates unless installed as alternate energy.
UNISAME experts pointed out that Pakistan imports many items which are already made in Pakistan and although the imports cannot be banned due to World Trade Organizations (WTO) but surely the practice of using imported goods can be curtailed by deliberately avoiding imported goods and using imported raw materials only that to when no substitute is found.
Pakistanis must come forward and set up their manufacturing units and government must support joint ventures, collaboration and transfer of technologies. Our Engineering Development Board must be revived and reverse engineering promoted for rapid industrialization.
We also need to increase exports by promoting SME wares by establishing an SME gallery with international exposure and also setting up a free SME business portal to penetrate global markets.
Many of our geographical indication ( GI) items need focused attention for promoting them all over the world as they are very exclusive and have good scope. Additionally the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority’s (SMEDA) recommendations for export promotion of SME wares must be considered and the question of hierarchy must not come in the way as Trade Development Authority of Pakistan feels only they are the ones authorised to deal with export issues. SMEDA and UNISAME both know the pulse of SMEs and know the requirements and potentiality of the sector and their recommendations must be considered in the best interest of the sector.

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