industrial policy, its spatial aspects and cluster development in ...

• Keep on supporting PHDEC to improve awareness on quality and compliance
(establish PAKGAP Standards) and up-gradation of cool chain infrastructure and
also to advocate with the provincial governments to strengthen their strategic
support to upgrade the horticulture sector in meeting quality, compliance and
certification requirements. The provincial government departments responsible
for markets are to be requested to further facilitate linkage between the valueadded
sector and fresh fruit markets.
• Incentivise local manufacturing of juicing and pulping equipment by providing
technical information and support from research centres such as Ayub Reserach
Institute, Faisalabad.
• Strengthen PSQCA’s enforcement capacity to ban / fine all illegal / counterfeit
juice suppliers in the market.
• Provide special time bound incentives to initiate a support plan to restart
business activity in war stricken areas. Special horticulture processing and value
added zones should be developed in interior Sindh, Balochistan, KP and
Southern Punjab. Land should be provided on attractive terms. The zones should
be declared exempt from all taxes and duties, however a target employment for
each zone must be set to qualify for this exemption.
• Develop seven clusters in the agro-sector including dairy cluster in Sahiwal, Pak
Pattan and Okara; Citrus cluster in Sargodha; Mango cluster in Multan and
Mirpur Khas; exotic fruit cluster in Swat; dates cluster in Sukkur/Khairpur and
exotic fruit and apricot drying cluster in Gilgit.
• The government should assist horticulture firms in purchasing undervalued
international firms that have branding assets and capabilities.
Surgical Instruments Sector
Surgical instrument sector is one of the critical export clusters based predominantly in
Sialkot. There are over 2,400 units involved in production of surgical instruments. The
major impediments faced by the sector include declining levels of skill and workforce,
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