Ahmed Khan Malik

The business community has called for speedy development of the Sukkur Industrial Enclave to boost industrial activities in the upper parts of the Sindh province.

The foundation stone of the industrial enclave was laid six months ago, however no visible development has been observed so far, representatives of the industrial community told WealthPK. The Sindh government plans to develop the enclave on 400 acres of land. It is situated along the left bank of the Indus River, directly across from 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 1,060 acres. The SIE was set up over an area of 110 acres. The estate is being managed by the Sindh Small Industries Corporation.

However, both have faced severe management issues, creating a vacuum for a state-of-the-art industrial enclave. The new project, which is set to provide the much-needed impetus to industrialisation in the region, is being established to house medium industrial clusters such as gem processing, apparel/garments and halal food processing industries etc. The establishment of the industrial enclave has positive implications on the socioeconomic outlook of the region. Usman Siddiqui, a member of Sukkur Chamber of Commerce & Industry, told WealthPK that the project would be a game changer for the region.

“However, the development work on the enclave is stalled.” He called for fast-paced development of the industrial enclave as industrialisation in the upper parts of the province is urgently needed for income generation and job creation. Siddiqui said that industrial base of the province is largely limited to Karachi with few industries in Hyderabad and Sukkur. “Sukkur, as the largest city in upper Sindh, offers huge potential for industrialization. This potential should not be confined to agro-based industries alone; sectors like chemicals and steel should also be developed,” he underscored.

Zubair Naveed, secretary of the Sukkur Industrial Association, said all stakeholders should work together to ensure the early completion of the enclave in order to boost industrialisation in the region. “Sukkur Industrial Enclave is being developed on a public-private partnership mode. It is expected to create about 25,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Besides, a vocational training centre will be established as part of the project,” Naveed said. He lamented that the government has a habit of announcing projects but makes little effort to ensure their timely execution.

Credit: INP-WealthPk