Mashood Ali Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Association of Auto Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), met with the Chairman of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDS), Iqbal Tabish, to discuss the extortionate prices of land in the Bin Qasim special economic zone. He mentioned about how automotive manufacturers are present in the region, but there are no auto part assemblers and manufacturers there. In addition to that, according to the NIP, Bin Qasim Association of Trade and Industry is to allocate 20-25 acres of land for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) of the automotive industry, but due to the extremely high prices (of almost 18 Million Rupees), many SMEs cannot afford to make such high capital investments.
PAAPAM has urged the PIDC to reduce these land prices, so that new producers may come in and set up their manufacturing plants, while already-present assemblers can make use of the opportunity to make this zone an area where all functions of the auto industry are present. The PIDC Chairman has assured that the subject would be considered in the corporation’s next board meeting.
Additionally, PIDC has requested a proposal from the PAAPAM on how the association would like to run the Automotive Testing and Training Centre, which has been present as a ghost facility for a long time, having been left abandoned soon after construction. PIDC wishes that members of PAAPAM take ownership of the facility, and use it to improve the skill set of labor and quality of products associated with the automotive industry of the land.
by AutoMark Magazine