Ahmed Khan Malik

The Sindh government is developing an industrial enclave in Sukkur, the third largest city in the province, to promote industrialization in the upper parts of the province. “The Sindh Economic Zone Management Company (SEZMC) had proposed a new industrial enclave in Sukkur under the PPP mode, which was approved by the company’s board,” said Muhammad Ali, Zones Operation Manager, while talking to WealthPK. He said a land parcel of 400 acres had been identified, and a consultant selected for feasibility. The land is situated on the left bank of the Indus River across the historic city of Rohri. There are two industrial estates in Sukkur, i.e. Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) and Small Industries Estate (SIE). The former was established in 1963 over an area of about 1060 acres, while the Small Industries Estate (SIE) was set up over an area of 110 acres. The estates are being managed by the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC).

However, both of them faced severe management issues, creating vacuum for a state-of-the-art industrial enclave. He said the proposed project will provide the much-needed impetus to industrialization in the region and will house medium industrial clusters such as gem processing, apparel/garments and halal food processing industries, etc. It will also have a positive impact on the socio-economic outlook of the entire region. The project is expected to attract an investment of more than Rs10 billion and will create more than 8,000 jobs.  Sukkur has ginning factories, roller flour mills and the Sindh Small Industrial Zone. Given its industrial potential, the Sindh Planning Department had suggested Sukkur as one of the eight metropolitan zones in the upper/northern Sindh region. “Sukkur has connectivity with around eight big or small districts at a distance of 30 to 45 minutes and can be an important spot for promoting industrial activity,” the Sindh Planning Department stated in a working paper.

“Farm produce shows a huge potential for value addition that is yet to be tapped. The shelf life of fruits can be extended, and wastage avoided. Area-wise, we have an edge for a food processing zone,” opined Amir Ghauri, President of the Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI). Milk production has witnessed some growth in the area, as the companies get milk from the surrounding areas and process it. He pointed out that Sukkur’s industrial area lacked infrastructure increasing the cost of doing business. This city has the largest market of fresh and dried dates but without any scope for value addition. Production of cotton, sugarcane, wheat and rice in certain areas, and orchards of fruits strawberries and dates is a manifestation of its agricultural diversity, which can be exploited to promote agro-based industry in the city.

INP: Credit: INP-WealthPk