Founder Chairman of the Salt Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SMAP), Ismail Suttar, has welcomed the Chief Minister of Punjab’s Pink Salt Value Addition Financing Scheme, describing it as a landmark and forward-looking initiative for Pakistan’s mineral sector that could transform the country’s pink salt industry into a globally recognized value-added export brand.
In a statement, Ismail Suttar said the scheme would not only promote value-added exports, attract investment, and create employment opportunities, but also significantly enhance Pakistan’s ability to earn foreign exchange by exporting finished products rather than raw pink salt. He urged the federal and provincial governments to introduce similar incentive-based financing programmes for the minerals, value-addition, and export sectors to unlock the country’s untapped export potential and strengthen the national economy.
He noted that the Punjab government’s decision to offer zero-markup financing of up to Rs50 million would enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to invest in modern processing, value addition, packaging and internationally compliant manufacturing facilities. This, he said, would allow Pakistan’s premium-quality pink salt to reach global markets as branded, high-value products rather than as unprocessed raw material, substantially increasing export earnings.
Mr. Suttar observed that Pakistan possesses some of the world’s finest pink salt reserves, but stressed that the country would continue to forgo significant economic gains unless it shifts its focus from exporting raw minerals to producing value-added products supported by modern branding, packaging and international quality standards.
He said the Punjab government’s initiative has the potential to stimulate industrial investment, generate sustainable employment and position Pakistan as a leading supplier of premium value-added pink salt products in international markets.
Calling for policy continuity, Ismail Suttar said that if similar financing and incentive schemes are implemented across the country, Pakistan could emerge within the next few years as one of the world’s leading exporters of value-added pink salt products. Such a transformation, he added, would not only boost exports and foreign exchange earnings but also contribute to long-term industrial growth and economic stability.
