Continuity in policies is a
must for economic growth: Alnoor Sheriff

What is your view on current economic state of the country?
The economy is a very hot topic these days and, very rightly so, as the impacts are from beginning to end. In the current situation, there is quite volatility in Pakistan’s economy but it should not be looked at in isolation. Given the current situation around the world, some factors are making it very challenging for all countries. As a result, the cost of energy and food is increasing and thus affecting economies, especially in the developing world and we are one of them. Yes, some internal factors are compounding the problem in Pakistan.
Yes, there is a global impact factor but still, why do we experience repeats of the economic difficulties all the time? Do you see any internal factors that we are unable to manage our economy?
Trying not to step into the political domain, but yes challenges have been prevalent, with good times and not so good times and life is about overcoming challenges. But what we need to learn is the element of continuity, which is a must. We need to decide on some basics of how to go about the economy. Geopolitical factors will continue to affect and they are a reality but the continuity of policies is necessary without which we will not progress. It should be decided that no new government will deviate from the direction we set and then ultimately we will progress.
How hopeful are you that we are realizing about correcting our direction and then the element of continuity in policies?
I am hopeful and trying to be optimistic, as I am an optimist. If you see the population and the national resources we have in the country like tourism, mining and its basic industries, availability of intelligent manpower, and good workforce potential, all these factors merit starting the basic activity in these sectors and then can go for value addition. I think these are the areas where our strength lies and I think we have not fully utilized our energies in these areas. We have tried to emulate populist areas which may seem good but are not more productive in the areas where our strength is.
In Pakistan’s difficult economic situation, how did you strategize your company to continue doing business?
Hard work and focus were two major elements that worked for us. The goals we have set ought to be achieved and it is very important. Stress and distractions do come, they hold us back from progress, but our exposure and education was there to be utilized in such a situation. In these times right from the post-COVID days which hampered our planning and progress, we have tried to stay focused and achieve the best of every variable we got rather than surrender.
Of course, surrender is no option but in these difficult times what was your company’s driving force to overcome challenges?
The first element is the acquisition of knowledge and its use in your thought process to foresee the things, likely to come in the future. It is very important and normally we escape it due to the influx and stresses of the present and forget to look forward to the future.
The second element was that we had a good team around. We kept on doing professionalization and communicating with them what we see as a management company, and how and what we foresee in the future. God knows better, but we as humans can access the right kind of information and knowledge to foresee the future. Using this feedback and sharing it with the team helps us to have a better response collectively. We received a very positive response from our team too, to address this challenge.
Your company is a family business and MashaAllah it runs successfully even after four generations and has earned a big name. Have you ever given it a thought to start manufacturing engineering products locally that you import to Pakistan?
At a family level, this thought process goes on continuously and we keep on evaluating what should be done and how it can be done. But it is important to see what is the best thing to do keeping in view our country. We are basically dealing in technical products; safety items which require quality and performance guaranteed. These products are developing very fast. We see there is a potential for local manufacturing but we are a bit far from efficient manufacturing. The quantity of these products in terms of value is very spread out thus the single items that have a high volume and are supported by average manpower and environment are required without which it becomes assembly rather than manufacturing. I think assembling is nothing but to offset the cost and it is not good manufacturing, which is about improvement. In Pakistan, the most natural industry is textile-based; we have cotton and fertile lands and I think these are the industries that should have developed first. Then we move on to higher-end engineering after getting raw materials.
If I reflect upon company history which is spread over 4 generations now has values that we have inherited from our forefathers and have carried forward. When the company was formed, the intention was to be a catalyst for the development of the switchgear industry. At that time, the availability of switchgear was very scarce and there were very few people who manufactured them as the components were somehow restricted. The objective is to ensure the availability of good components required for the economy in Pakistan so that further value addition industry can be done. By the grace of God, what we see today is a widespread number of switchgear manufacturers in Pakistan. This is a natural growth in the industry. We continue expanding it and taking it forward.
How many products are you dealing in and what are the company’s expansion plans?
We are dealing in a wide range of products which provide solutions and in this way, we are dealing with 30 manufacturers and if we see them in number they range from a few hundred to thousands. Like we said earlier what we have to see is what’s required in what kind of industry. What is important is that we provide solutions; it’s not about just delivering a project. It includes presales, sales, and post-sales, which means delivery of a complete package that we provide.
We have heard appreciation as regards your after-sales services suggesting that you have good systems along with efficient teams of engineers. Is this model working well and the company is satisfied?
These compliments are like music to the ears. The people appreciate it and thank you very much. It is our responsibility to keep on doing it in a much better way in the future also. But what we focus on is what we deliver with the product; it is critical. We believe in honest dealings with our customers, which means it is about giving the right solution and product rather than just delivering the project, getting money, and walking away. MashaAllah, even today there are products that we gave 20 years ago and are functioning properly. Our engineers maintain them and we don’t believe in putting our customers under unnecessary financial burden.
Is your company involved in CSR activities? Like many companies are working in various CSR fields like environment etc.?
All these things are interwoven and importantly, these activities should not be superficial. What we focus on is the efficient use of energy and of course, it is debatable these days. The people say it has negative impacts and they are moving towards green energy. What we have tried to do is that we ensure efficient use of power. It is something in another way supporting the environment. Our teams are working on power quality and the efficient use of energy. – By Manzoor Shaikh