‘Make in Pakistan’ is a must but how remains ambiguous

Pakistan’s economic hardship has given impetus to the thought that we should vigorously go to local manufacturing so as to substitute imports and thus grow as a self-sufficient nation, but how this objective would be achieved is still unclear.
There are two opinions. Proponents of one opinion say it is the industry that has to do everything if any such effort is to be realized, while the supporters of the other believe the government has to set up an ecosystem for localization.
Amidst such a debate in Pakistan, the forthcoming HVACR Expo’s organizers also seem to sail with such streams, but both have a “Make in Pakistan” slogan attached to the event taking off in Karachi.
Engr. Farooq Mehboob, President of ASHRAE, believes the industry has to take on the process of the ‘Make in Pakistan’ dream to be realized. If our industry continues looking towards the government to get concessions then nothing will happen, Engr. Mehboob says, because he argues the government does not have resources. ‘Thus whatever effort is needed has to be made by the industry.’
He floats the example of Honda saying the owner of the company had made a motorcycle in his own garage and that provided him with the foundation to be the company that we see today. What we need is an approach under which the entrepreneur should do something at his end first rather than looking towards the government, he says. They should leave the taxes that entrepreneurs want governments to exempt.
In parallel to Engr. Mehboob’s view, HVACR Society Pakistan’s president, Ahmed Nawaz, believes the basic requirements such as electricity, etc. for ‘Make in Pakistan’ are not available in Pakistan.
The coordination between various government departments which is a requisite is almost missing, he says. We see new policies coming from the ministries every day but don’t see any implementation. Also, they don’t support the local industry either. Until you reduce the production cost, ensure the product quality, and set standards, you cannot compete in the market, he claims.
The industry which produces locally has not attained the quality of products for selling in the international market, therefore we require to create an infrastructure for that, he says.
Despite hindrances that Ahmed Nawaz himself spelled out, he believes local manufacturers will play a significant part in the expo he is organizing in Karachi in the wake of the fragile condition of Pakistan’s economy.
He said traders cannot do anything, only local manufacturers have the opportunity to get recognition in the event and improve the quality of their products.
No matter that ‘Make in Pakistan’ seems a distant dream, HVACR Society and ASHRAE have at least succeeded in shooting down the perception of division between the two entities. They have signed an MoU for the conference to be led by ASHRAE, ensuring that the international delegates will attend the event.
ASHRAE will manage the conference, decide the subjects, and market the event that will result in a very robust event, Engr. Mehboob told ER.
He said climate change is a reality in the world and we can’t escape it now. In last year’s floods, as many as 30 million people were affected and the level of water touched signboards on our highways.