The volatile law and order situation in the country especially in Karachi during the last few months coupled with worsening load shedding has badly affected marble exports as the country could only export $6 million worth of the commodity out of the targeted exports worth $25 million during the first quarter of financial year 2012. Despite the fact that the country recorded 70 per cent growth in marble exports last year, it is unlikely that the target of $100 million set for the incumbent FY11-12 will be met.
This can be attributed to the deteriorating energy deficit that is leading to unprecedented load shedding along with the volatile law and order in the metropolis city, that is a major gateway for exports and imports in the country, Chairman All Pakistan Marble Mining, Processing and Export Industry, Sanaullah Khan told Profit. Though Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has claimed that the industries have been exempted from load shedding after receiving improved fuel supply, the marble industrial units in the city are still facing prolonged outages under scheduled load shedding or owing to what the company claims to be technical faults. The industries at Qasba Colony which remained closed for weeks mainly due to the worsening law and order situation in the area, is now having to bear the brunt of power shortage that will affect overall production and exports of the sector, he said.
“Despite mammoth losses faced by exporters through losing import orders, diplomatic channels of the country especially in the Middle Eastern regions are not doing enough to introduce the country’s products in the region where the construction sector has huge demands for Pakistani marble,” he explained. Sanaullah said that Pakistan could get a good share in projects overseas through introducing its marble the projects being carried out in those regions. As the cost of the products and distance are comparatively in favour of the country’s commodities, the importers of the gulf region who are not aware of the high quality marble being produced in Pakistan. Companies in that region would definitely be in favour of importing marble from Pakistan as they were investing huge amounts on import of the same product from some European countries. ”Besides, the Chinese marble exporters were very actively tapping the Middle Eastern markets and important projects in the region through exporting marbles originally imported from Pakistan,” he said adding that Islamabad is losing huge revenue which could be generated through taking steps that aid in the facilitation of boosting indigenous exports.
