FCCI Urged to Offer Practical Ideas for Revitalizing Industrial Policy, Emphasizes NPO Leader
Published on: January 2, 2024.
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The Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) has been urged to provide viable suggestions for a new industrial policy. Mr. Muhammad Alamgir Chaudhry, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Productivity Organization (NPO), suggested that the FCCI should submit applications to receive assistance from APO/NPO experts or conduct study missions to follow best practices in their sectors.
During a meeting with Dr. Sajjad Arshad, Acting President of the FCCI, Chaudhry emphasized the importance of value addition in agricultural products. He used the example of Thailand, which has excelled in dehydrating fruits and vegetables. Thailand imports frozen strawberries to use in its chips for export. Chaudhry mentioned that the NPO is organizing workshops at the provincial level to raise awareness among local farmers, considering arranging a workshop in Faisalabad.
He highlighted the issue of post-harvest losses, estimating them to be around 35-40%. Chaudhry stated that value addition and the development of the processing industry could help control these losses. He provided examples of value addition success, such as tomatoes, which saw an increase in value from Rs.10 per kg to Rs.250 per kg, and apricots from Hunza, which are now exported as dehydrated fruit at Rs.2,000 per kg.
Chaudhry also spoke about the potential of mango pulp, with a global demand of 200,000 tons per annum, of which 80% is supplied by India. He believed that Pakistani mangoes were of superior quality and could be used to manufacture various derivatives, including jam and squash.
Dr. Sajjad Arshad, Acting President of the FCCI, emphasized the need for value addition in agricultural products to protect growers from losses. He mentioned the decrease in maize prices despite bumper crops and stressed the importance of value addition to prevent such losses in the future. He also expressed the goal of increasing Pakistan’s rice exports from $2.5 billion to $5 billion by 2025 and $10 billion by 2030.
Arshad addressed the textile industry, highlighting its decline in exports and the decreasing trend of foreign remittances. He attributed these issues to inconsistent and uncertain government policies that hinder the adoption of new technologies.
Regarding the poultry sector, Arshad praised the quality of Pakistani products, comparing them to those of the US, attributing their success to minimal government interference. He also called for attention to be given to the dairy sector, which offers multiple opportunities for value addition and progress.
In addition to these discussions, Engineer Ahmad Hassan, Convener of the FCCI Standing Committee on R&D, emphasized the need for action to increase productivity. He proposed declaring the wastage of energy a criminal offense to hold entrepreneurs accountable.
Following the meeting, Dr. Sajjad Arshad presented an FCCI shield to Mr. Muhammad Alamgir Chaudhary, CEO of the NPO.
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