Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab has said that the printing industry is a key industry in today’s world. The country’s industry is contributing heavily toward employment generation. Murtaza stated this while inaugurating PrintPak, the country’s biggest printing graphic arts and packaging exhibition, at Karachi Expo Center on Saturday.
He said that Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would provide land to the local paper industry under a public-private partnership to establish training institutes for our youth’s skill development.
In his speech, Chairman Pakistan Association of Printing and Graphic Arts Industry (PAPGAI) Aziz Khalid said that this industry is one of the largest after the textile sector, with over a million workforce.
“This industry is a backbone for sectors like FMCG, Textile, Publication Houses, Confectionery, Pharmaceuticals, and many others. Pakistan is manufacturing top quality printed products to cater to the ever-growing domestic and international demand,” said Khalid.
Hence, he added, the industry has witnessed investments in new machinery and technology from current and new players as the industry foresees an increase in demand domestically, given the increasing retail landscape and export opportunities for the sector.
He added that the association has also provided a platform for the State Bank of Pakistan to disseminate information regarding SME schemes among its members. It will not only help the industry glow but also give SMEs a fair opportunity to contribute their share towards the national economy.
President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) M Idrees, in his speech, said that this industry is a significant contributor to the economy in the form of taxes, provision of employment opportunities to both skilled and unskilled, and skill development of people associated with the industry.
“I hope that these efforts by industry in general and PAPGAI, in particular, will continue to gather pace for the betterment and efficiency,” said M Idrees.
Convener PAPGAI Basit Zaidi said that support from the government through fair policies would help Pakistan to tap the potential of the export market worth $8-16 billion for the printing sector only.
“Given the cost-effectiveness of operations backed by a talented pool of human resources, Pakistan’s printing industry has a comparative advantage to penetrate and create a footprint in the export market. It has a clear advantage over countries like China and Malaysia where the labour cost is relatively high,” said Zaidi.
In the end, Zohair Naseer, MD Badar Expo Solutions and Aziz Khalid, Chairman PAPGAI gave Mementos to the Chief Guest.
