October 23, 2006	Monday	Ramazan 29, 1427

Prior to government take-over in 1970’s, a private sector company dealt with Bedford trucks, buses and other vehicles while another company dealt with their engines. The deletion of foreign parts in truck chassis varied between 20 to 22 per cent. Up to 1982, deletion achieved in National Motors was 82 per cent. Some progress in deletion was also made in engine-making in the “Bela Engineers”.

If this deletion programme was continued with the same enthusiasm, by now the country would have achieved self-reliance in manufacture of most of auto parts, leading to growth of engineering capacity and a robust vending industry.

Pakistan Machine Tool Factory had specialised in manufacturing transmission systems. Naya Daur was to produce bonnets and heavy mechanical complex, Long Members. National Motors imported raw materials for the vendors. and provided finances to them when needed. The company also provided design, drawings, specifications and samples of the components for the deletion programme. Before actual deletion, test runs were made and only when the original manufacturers were satisfied, was the deletion effected.

National Motors placed separate funds at the disposal of Pakistan Automobile Corporation for setting up other projects for the deletion programme of Bedford. They chose to develop “Wheel Rim Plant” and a “Tool and Dies Project.”

There was great pressure on National Motors for giving up Bedford technology as it was considered by some to be old and outdated. This pressure was resisted. It was explained that the technology was not outdated and that in any case it will act as a spring board for acquiring other technologies.

The original manufacturers of Bedford Vehicles, viz Vauxhall Motors in England and a subsidiary of General Motors offered to National Motors franchise for rest of the world for the models being produced in Pakistan and supply of tools and dies which may be needed.

The offer was transmitted to Pakistan Automobile Corporation and to the government but there was no response.

Bedford makes of vehicles are no longer on the production line. There may not be much point in weeping over the past actions. However, what has happened is that not much deletion appears to have been achieved in the other projects launched either for trucks, buses, tractors or for cars, jeeps, motorcycles etc.

Not much attention appears to have been paid to manufacturing transmission system and engine. Even the steel plates are being imported for car body parts. Only one model is earmarked for progressive manufacture and more attention is paid to marketing other models. It is hoped that vending industry is actually manufacturing components and parts and it is not importing these for giving only cosmetic treatment.

The bottom line is that the progress in engineering industry will come with upgrading of skills and with value addition to the products on which we need to focus. We have importing cars and other vehicles and also mobile phones, with no value addition of any kind from our side.

Imports of built-up products do not involve engineering skills at all. Some restraint in this regard may not be out of order.

Mohammed Anwar Khan,

Karachi