LAHORE, May 21: The Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (Tusdec) is planning to set up common facility centres in Lahore and Karachi at a cost of Rs5.7 billion to facilitate development of electronics industry and to reduce dependence on imports.

Disclosing this, a Tusdec spokesman said here on Wednesday that the country was spending over $1billion per annum on importing cellular phones alone because it had not developed its electronic sector despite the fact that it had become the most lucrative market in the world with an annual turnover of $1.2 trillion.

Pakistan's electronics sector basically focused on consumer electronics, with activities confined to assembly of conventional TV sets, radio, cassette recorders and other allied consumer electronics products using CKD or SKD component kits, imported mostly from China. The share of electronics in country's manufacturing sector was merely three per cent.

The spokesman said that Tusdec was establishing the Lahore Electronics Complex at a cost of Rs2.7 billion with focus on cellular phones and telecom sectors and Karachi Electronics Complex at a cost of Rs3 billion to cater to the requirements of consumer and home appliances industry including liquid crystal display, television, computer monitors and multimedia products.

The centres were designed to support and help grow the local industry through 'economy of scale', supply of sub-assemblies and kits at competitive prices to those being otherwise imported from China and nearby countries.

The economy of scale supply would contribute significantly to the lowering of cost of electronics products in the country vis-a-vis other players in the international market.