May 05, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 28, 1429

KARACHI, May 4: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has termed the wheat shortage in Sindh “artificial”, saying that profiteers and hoarders were bent upon smuggling wheat stocks into a neighbouring country that is currently faced with a bad wheat crop.

Talking to a 13-member delegation of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industries (KTI) led by S.M. Munir here on Sunday, Mr Shah said the fresh crop was being harvested in the country and strict measures were being taken to check smuggling in order to overcome the shortage.

He blamed the growing inflation in the country on the flawed policies pursued by former prime minister Shaukat Aziz, and said that the fallout of the unpopular policies, coupled with the shortage of food items around the world, had aggravated the economic crisis in Pakistan.

The chief minister urged the KTI to help the government overcome the crisis by increasing industrial production, stabilising prices of essential commodities and generating employment opportunities. He held out the assurance that the government would take all possible measures to maintain law and order and improve industrial infrastructure. He also pledged that industry would be provided all the required facilities in Sindh.

Mr Shah observed that industrial development and creation of an industrialist-friendly atmosphere was vital for the economic stability of Sindh as this would help bring about prosperity and eliminate unemployment in the province.

He assured the delegation that the government would keep in touch with industrialists and take them into confidence while formulating the new industrial policy.

He was of the view that politicians, industrialists and intellectuals should work together for the progress and prosperity of the province.

Earlier Mr Munir informed the chief minister that there were 4,000 industrial units functioning in Karachi, and pointed out that more than 350,000 people were employed by the units functioning in the Korangi Industrial Area alone.

“The KTI members contribute Rs270 million per day under the head of taxes,” he said, adding that 70 per cent of the total industrial units dealt in textile. He said that 30 per cent of the country’s textile units were in Karachi.

Urging the provincial government to patronise the Nooriabad Industrial Estate, he said it could be turned into the biggest industrial zone in Asia if special attention was paid to its promotion.

The delegation welcomed the PPP-MQM coalition, saying that this would ensure peace and tranquillity which was essential for the economic stability and industrial growth in the province.