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Govt urged to encourage local bus makers

RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: Former chairman of Pakistan Automobile Spare Parts and Importers Dealers Association (Paspida) and Engineering Components & Machinery Manufacturers Association Pakistan (ECMMAP) Iftikhar Ali Malik has urged the government to encourage the local bus assembling units, instead of import of buses in Completely Build-up (CBU) condition.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, he claimed that the present assembling units in the country, like Hino, Isuzu, UD Nissan and Volvo were facing serious problems of un-utilised capacity. At this juncture, import of 300 buses in CBU conditions for plying in Lahore would amount to crushing the local automobile and auto part vendor industry.

"It was a two-edge sword as one edge would damage the domestic industry while the other would result in spending of huge foreign exchange on import of buses," he said.

He said it would be better for the country if the government contacts the local manufacturers and press upon their principals to add more facilities to their units and impart more training to their skilled manpower working at their plants. In response, they should be assured that no import of buses in CBU conditions would be allowed, he added.