SIALKOT: President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Mansur Ahmed has said that the exporters of Sialkot are the “roaming ambassadors of Pakistan”, who travel all around the world to fetch business and with their personal efforts, the export earnings of Sialkot stand at $1.8 billion annually.
He said that the Sialkot exporters had been earning precious foreign exchange to the tune of $1.8 billion annual, besides, playing a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy and boosting the national exports as well.
He stated this while addressing an important meeting of the Chairmen of the SCCI departmental committees held at the SCCI Auditorium here on Monday. SCCI Senior Vice President Muhammad Sarfraz Butt was also present on this occasion.
He gave a detailed briefing on Sialkot’s unique export culture and Sialkot’s marvellous socio-economic development on self help basis by Sialkot business community.
SCCI President revealed that export-oriented Sialkot city has successfully followed the examples of Japan, Germany, Korea, Taiwan and other countries in development of SME culture in Sialkot, as the Sialkot based SMEs have been producing only exportable items and enjoy special status in the international market for its products. Government and other financial institutions are lending support to the export sector and we are foreseeing growth of exports and development of SMEs at a fast pace in Sialkot.
The participants of the meeting were told that the Sialkot is the only export-oriented city of Pakistan, where 99 percent industrial production is meant for exports. The products including sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products, textile items, martial arts uniforms and accessories, musical instruments, knives and cutlery items and military uniform badges etc, produced in Sialkot are exported to all parts of the world. Sialkot made footballs, filed hockey sticks, cricket gears and sports wears are used in Olympics, World Cups, Asian Games and other international events.
Similarly, the surgical instruments are being imported by most of the developed countries from Sialkot-Pakistan for re-export purposes under their own brand names, while,, in leather garments, leather gloves and textile sports wears, Sialkot exporters are competing with other countries in quality.
President Mansur Ahmed highly hailed the unique export culture of Sialkot. He said that the Sialkot businessmen also have better awareness about the industrial set up of Sialkot and socio-economical development projects taken in hand by the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
He urged the Chairmen of SCCI’s all the departmental committees to devote their full energies and capabilities for the promotion of the Sialkot exports with full dedication, enthusiasm, fervour and complete peace of mind, besides striving to achieve their targets for boosting the national economy for facilitating the Sialkot based traders, industrialists and exporters on top priority.
The meeting was told that universal remedy of the developing world lies in a vibrant and vigorous economy, which alone could address poverty alleviation and un-employment, he narrated.