BY : Mawaiz Khan Akash/Faiza Khan
BM-What implications, the political scenario shall have on vital economic trends in Pakistan?
Ans: Actually Pakistan's political environment has always interfered and influenced the smooth flow of economic trends. Amidst numbers of issues, which are been tackled by the coalition Government to streamline the smooth working of Business, Trade & Industry is still in the lingering stage from the point of view of Sindh province. I have after taking-over as Minster for Industries and Commerce have managed to compile some drastic measures to revamp the on-going industrial process, in tackling the rising/escalation Cost of doing business, developing infrastructure, roads, logistics etc to help genuine businessman & Industrialists and Overseas Investors to take advantage of raw material and cheap labour to boost economic activities, which will ultimately give fruitful results in due course of time, if at all the continuation in policies are safe guarded.
BM- Do you think foreign policy in Pakistan in inter-linked with internal political policy, which helps to accelerate the pace of work?
Ans: Yes, I feel that carving the foreign policy in Pakistan, which has the major influence of political situation prevailing in the country viz a viz, the border situation with the neighbors including India, Iran, Afghanistan and China. Hence Domestic and International business, trade & Industry, largely depends on any major upheaval that occasionally takes place with-in the country in the form of bomb explosions, political un-rests, law & Order situation emerging from direct influence of war on terror confronting Pakistan.
BM-What kind of efforts and policies you are pledging to make the Sindh an ideal industrial zone? Please comment on.
Ans: Well, now the govt has drawn up a very easy and simple policy in which the industries will be set up in the whole without gaining NOC. While in the province the agriculture industries are made implementable to popularize the agricultural products so that the more and more people could be employed. For the popularization of Hyderabad Industrial Estate the progressive work has started on 1300 acres of land, which will cost Rs. 150 million. I also inaugurated the site website in this connection. For the prosperity of small industries Rs. 25 crore and 70 lac are being spent on progressive work. In Karachi the small industrial Estate has been set up on 100 acres of land, which has cost Rs. 29 Billion. In Hyderabad and Sukkar the progressive work in small industry underway is underway. Furthermore Muthi, Gotki, Nosharoferoz, Khairpur and in Larkana the Small industries Estate are being set up. In Hyderabad for the prosperity of power looms, the Estate is being established as 500 acres of land. In my press conference I announced that in Tatha, Badeen and Sangar the plot would be provided on 20% payment. In Nooriabad the industrial estate will be provided water by 25th Jan 2009, which will be cost 1 billion and 42 lac. The new 7 industrial zones will consist of 200 factories and at least 10,000 people will be employed. So this is a very unique process with which farmer's living standard will be raised and surely the industrial advancement will be entered to its new era with more prosperity. As a matter of fact if Sindh gets strong the whole Pakistan will get strong. Karachi is a port city while the whole Pakistan, Afghanistan and central Asia is land. All the trade takes place here in this city. If there is disturbance then it's impact on the whole Pakistan, Afghanistan and central Asia. So the Karachi especially Sindh needs a special need to look deeply into the affairs of it.
BM-Business Community has too much expectation from you in the regard of promoting business. How do comment on?
Ans: I will not speak few sentences to make them happy but in this regard I am going to plan a long-term strategy to solve the problems of business community as soon as possible. I want such a solution, which is durable and acceptable for them. At the other end there is much truth in this claim that as much we industrialize our country, as the pressure of inflation will decrease. Recently, I called on the President Mr. Asif Zardari while requesting him to power base the entire industrial zone of Sindh so that they themselves could generate the energy power as well as industry. I am too much happy that he accepted my suggestion.
BM- Is there any scope for Agro-based Industries targeting the rural areas of Sindh?
Ans: it is for the first time that I have, after taking over as Minister for Industries and Commerce have chalked out a very vibrant programme for massive Installation of Agro-based value addition Industries in Sindh. Such a vital step has never been taken in the last 60 years of the country's existence; this in my view is of utmost importance to raise the standard of living of our people living in the remote areas. Once organized, this will open new avenues for doing business ventures like transport, logistics, power generation, cold sorages, low cost housing school & colleges, hospitals etc. All these steps and correct utilization of funds available will usher genuine phase of industrialization which will not only be urban centric, but shall provide equal opportunities to the rural areas, bringing-in synergy and accelerated economic growth in the Sindh province.
Q- What specific methods are taken in creating opportunities to uplift women and overseas Pakistanis?
Ans: As I am sure you will be surprised and feel elated to hear that my department for the first tiem has earmarked 100 Acres of land at Northern Bypass near Super highway: out of which 70 Acres of land have been allocated for men entrepreneurs and overseas Pakistanis, an exclusive 30 Acres of land for women entrepreneurs to setup their own small, medium or cottage Industries as per their choice. Infrastructure coupled with all kinds of utilities is ready to go under operation.
Q- In your view where does the global economy stand viz- a -viz Pakistan's economic trends?
Ans: What I see that global economy in the last 1-1/2 years has taken an unprecedented turn for the worse, obviously all the major players in the first world/developed countries are fighting tooth & nail digest and get acquainted with accelerated oil price hike which is directly proportional to food inflation, that causes overall impact on related services like health-care, transport, education, utilities etc, creating a real pinching effect to the commoner.
Over the years, world wars and wars between countries in different continents have shattered and shaken-up both macro and micro economies of the world, turning the entire physical and mental approach into a race of haves and have -nots. This unique logic has compulsorily driven one-third of the world population o live below the poverty line. Using your Saudi gazette as a tool, I call upon the G-8 countries to handle the above grave issue and initiate to formulate strategies & action plans to combat this poverty menace peacefully, to harmonize with uniform policy in collaboration with UNO to help the poor nations specially the Africans Continent to over come the poverty factor to it's minimal.
It is estimated that entire world's wealth is in the hand of these G-8 countries and hence the international investment is also targeted to these countries only, being ruthless to share the fruits with down trodden and under developed countries of the world, leaving them in poverty stricken, bickering and in hegemony, at the mercy of most powerful nations of the world.
Q- Recently the city Nazim Mustafa Kamal has been nominated the Second Mayor of the world for his excellence performance in the city. What would you like to say?
Ans: I would like to tribute Mustafa Kamal and his team on untiring efforts of the day and night, which made Karachi a worth-seeing city not only for the Pakistanis but also for the foreigners as well. His worth-making efforts were acknowledged at world level that's why he was nominated the Second Mayor of the world.
Q- Would you like to convey any message through our magazines "BUSINESS MONITOR" to the business community?
Ans: Well, I strongly believe that your Magazine Business Monitor, will enlighten a ray of hope among the business community. I request to all the traders, exporters and industrialists to invest in this homeland as much as possible. As I see it, you have atmosphere as compare to other countries.     mawaiz.khan@businessmonitorpk.com