PESHAWAR, Jan 10: Effective linkages among the employers, workers and government agencies can help create a conducive environment for the revival of closed and sick industrial units in the NWFP, participants of a dialogue on the issue stressed here on Wednesday.

Office-bearers of various workers’ and industrialists’ associations participated in the dialogue held by an Italian non-governmental organisation, ISCOS-Trade Union Institute for Development Cooperation, in collaboration with the Pakistan Workers’ Federation and the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

SCCI president Liaquat Ahmad Khan said the NWFP had the highest number of closed and sick industrial units in the country.

He said that because of the distance from the port the approximate cost difference between industrial units in Karachi and Peshawar was 23 per cent.

“An incentives package of tax holidays and concession in import duty on raw material and capital goods can not only help revive the closed units but will also be helpful in attracting foreign investment to the province,” Mr Khan said.

He maintained that keeping in view the impending globalisation under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime, trade bodies could play a significant role in providing vital feedback on the industrial sector.

Mr Khan suggested that the employers, employees and the public sector should form a joint forum for revival of closed and sick industrial units in the province.

He said that the commercial banks instead of concentrating on consumer financing should allocate credit for restoration of closed industrial units on lenient terms.

Masood Ahmad, president of the Small Industrialists’ Association, Peshawar, blamed whet he termed inconsistent and discriminatory policies of the government towards the NWFP as the reason for the closure of hundreds of the industrial units.

He said the government had been unable to utilise appropriately the hydropower generation potential of the NWFP for a strong and vibrant industrial base in the province.

“The Malakand-III hydel project, which is about to begin generating 81 megawatts, can bring a revolution if its electricity is provided to the local industries at subsidised rates but the provincial government will sell it to the Water and Power Development Authority,” he said.

Shoukat Ali Anjum, Jehanzeb Khan and Abdul Hameed Haad of the Pakistan Workers’ Federation advocated cooperation among workers, employers and government agencies for revival of the closed and sick units.

They said the workers and employers had to play their roles keeping in view the challenges of the WTO.