Chairman All Pakistan Cottage Industry & Small Traders Ghulam Sarwar Malik has said that growth of manufacturing sector and economic stability is not possible without strengthening the cottage industry and the PML-N government would have to evolve a comprehensive strategy and announce a special package for early revival of cottage industry. “Nawaz Sharif should form a committee on cottage industry and give due representation to the people attached with this important sector,” he said.
Malik was talking to a delegation of 60 associations of cottage industry on Friday. The delegation members informed him that cottage industry was on the verge of collapse and need an urgent rescue plan. Malik said that conundrum of elections in Pakistan was done and people have witnessed a congenial change. They have high hopes with the PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif. He said that due to baseless policies and corruption of the previous regime, cottage industry had destroyed while the energy crisis had already rendered thousands of people attached with this sector jobless.
He appealed Nawaz Sharif to work on war footing to overcome the energy crisis, adding that the looted money should be recovered to get closed power plants operational.
While eulogizing the former Punjab chief minister, he said that Shahbaz Sharif was keen to turn the province into hub of investment. He said that establishment of cottage city would attract foreign investment besides playing an important role in stabilizing the economy of Punjab. He said that cottage industry having 20-workers in its fold, should be exempted from social security, old age benefit and labour laws to get some breath.